The political firestorm between former President Donald Trump and billionaire Elon Musk has reignited—this time with a stunning twist: Trump is suggesting Musk could be deported.
Speaking to reporters on Tuesday, Trump responded to Musk’s increasingly aggressive social media attacks on the GOP-backed spending bill, saying, “We’ll have to take a look,” when asked if Musk could face deportation. “He might have to pack up and head back to South Africa.”
Musk, a naturalized U.S. citizen originally from South Africa, has been fiercely critical of what he calls the “Big Beautiful Bill,” accusing Republicans of adding $5 trillion to the national debt and calling the U.S. a “one-party country – the PORKY PIG PARTY!!”
On his platform X (formerly Twitter), Musk has launched a barrage of posts condemning the bill as wasteful, bloated with “pork,” and a betrayal of conservative principles. The mogul even threatened to fund primary challengers against any Republican who supported the bill: “If it’s the last thing I do on this Earth,” he warned.
Trump, in a Truth Social post, fired back, claiming Musk’s outrage stemmed from the removal of the electric vehicle (EV) mandate—a key benefit for Musk’s Tesla empire. “He’s not getting his mandate,” Trump said. “And he better be careful, because he might not get anything else.”
In a comment dripping with sarcasm, Trump added, “We might have to put DOGE on Elon,” referencing the Department of Government Efficiency—an entity Musk once advised.
Musk’s response was measured but ominous: “So tempting to escalate this. So, so tempting. But I will refrain for now.”
The clash ends a brief two-week truce between the two titans, who had previously enjoyed a tenuous alliance. In June, Musk even claimed credit for Trump’s 2024 victory: “Without me, Trump would have lost the election,” he posted, boasting of spending over $270 million backing Trump and GOP candidates.
Now, that alliance appears to be in ruins.
As Trump continues to hammer Musk—suggesting he could revoke government contracts and warning of “consequences” should Musk fund Democrats—one thing is clear: the political tech wars of 2025 are just getting started.