Trump threatens Musk with DOGE and deportation as feud reignites
As the public war of words between the former political allies escalated on Tuesday, Trump also said that the so-called Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) — which the tech billionaire formerly spearheaded — could review the massive US government subsidies awarded to Musk's businesses, which include Tesla and SpaceX.
When asked by a reporter on Tuesday if he was considering deporting Musk, a South African national and a naturalized US citizen, Trump said: "I don't know, we'll have to take a look."
"We might have to put DOGE on Elon. You know what DOGE is. DOGE is the monster that might have to go back and eat Elon," Trump said.
"If DOGE looks at Musk, we're going to save a fortune," he added later on Tuesday.
Although Musk heavily backed Trump during his reelection campaign and was rewarded with the DOGE project, their alliance appeared to come to a dramatic end a month ago.
Trading blows over Trump's bill
The beef between the pair began in early June when Musk criticised Trump's tax cuts and spending bill, calling it a "disgusting abomination".
In response, Trump threatened to target Musk's companies, with the tech mogul in turn calling for the US president to be impeached.
While Musk backtracked on some of his attacks and Trump wished him well, hostilities resumed on Monday when the world's richest man once again criticised the tax cuts and spending bill, which the US president has described as "big and beautiful".
Musk lashed out at Republicans for backing the bill, referring to it as "political suicide" and calling the GOP the "Porky Pig party".
He also renewed threats to start a new political party, called the "America Party", if the bill passed. The legislation was passed by the US Senate on Tuesday by the narrowest of margins, and now goes back to the House for possible final approval.
The US "needs an alternative to the Democrat-Republican uniparty so that the people actually have a voice," Musk wrote on Monday on X, the social media platform he owns.
That came after Musk, who spent hundreds of millions of dollars on Trump's reelection campaign, said in May that he would likely spend "a lot less" on politics in the future.
In response to Musk's latest criticism and threats, Trump on Tuesday suggested that Musk could lose subsidies for his businesses.
"No more rocket launches, satellites, or electric car production, and our country would save a fortune," the US president wrote on Truth Social.
Without subsidies, Musk "would probably have to close up shop and head back home to South Africa," Trump added.
Musk, for his part, has continued to criticise the tax cuts and spending bill on X, sharing posts that supported his view of the legislation, including memes and claims that it would drive up the national debt.
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