United States President, Donald Trump, has issued a warning to tech magnate Elon Musk, threatening deportation as tensions between the two escalate once again.
In a further twist, Trump suggested that DOGE, the budget-slashing agency formerly headed by Musk, might now be used as a tool against its original architect.
The dispute centers around Trump’s controversial budget proposal, which is currently facing scrutiny in Congress.
“Elon may get more subsidy than any human being in history, by far,” Trump posted on social media. “Perhaps we should have DOGE take a good, hard, look at this? BIG MONEY TO BE SAVED!!!”
Musk fired back swiftly, declaring: “I am literally saying CUT IT ALL. Now.”
The Tesla and SpaceX CEO has been an outspoken critic of Trump’s expansive spending bill, which he believes contradicts the fiscal discipline DOGE was created to enforce.
Their once cooperative relationship has deteriorated into a public feud, escalating last month and marked by sharp exchanges before Musk briefly softened his stance.
Currently under congressional review, Trump’s proposed legislation allocates more funds toward border security, defense, and energy initiatives, with offsetting cuts to healthcare and food assistance programs.
While Republicans control both legislative chambers, internal party divisions have seen some members join Democrats in opposing the bill.
Musk previously led the Department of Government Efficiency before resigning amid disputes over what Trump proudly calls his “big, beautiful bill.” The legislation contains a provision that would eliminate electric vehicle (EV) incentives, a direct threat to Musk’s auto business.
“He’s upset that he’s losing his EV mandate, he’s very upset, he could lose a lot more than that, I can tell you that,” Trump said during a press briefing on Tuesday.
“Doge is the monster that might have to go back and eat Elon. He gets a lot of subsidies,” he added.
Musk, for his part, maintains his stance is based on principle, not personal loss. He insists he’s committed to slashing government expenditure.
Critics of Trump’s bill say it would swell the national debt by an estimated $3.3 trillion.
During the congressional vote, Musk posted frequently on his platform X, including a debt graph captioned, “When are they going to flatten this curve?”
He followed up with a stern rebuke, “Every member of Congress who campaigned on reducing government spending and then immediately voted for the biggest debt increase in history should hang their head in shame!”
He didn’t stop there, Musk pledged to campaign against those lawmakers in the primaries, promising to unseat them. The billionaire, who reportedly spent hundreds of millions to back Trump’s re-election campaign last year, has also floated the idea of launching a third party to challenge both major political blocs.
In a retort to Trump’s claims about EV subsidies, Musk resurfaced an old interview clip in which he argued: removing those incentives would actually strengthen Tesla’s market position, “competitive position would improve significantly.”
Trump has also suggested he might consider deporting the tech billionaire Musk to South Africa, as tensions between the two surged following Musk’s harsh critique of Trump’s tax and budget proposal.
Speaking to reporters on July 1, Trump floated the idea just hours after taking to Truth Social to announce he might instruct the Department of Government Efficiency, formerly overseen by Musk, to reexamine the extensive federal contracts awarded to Musk’s businesses.
“We’ll have to take a look,” Trump responded when questioned about the possibility of deporting Musk. “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. Wouldn’t that be terrible? He gets a lot of subsidies.”
The renewed spat follows a barrage of posts from Musk on X earlier that same day, where he denounced Trump’s so-called “big, beautiful bill.”
As the legislation entered its fourth day of Senate debate, Musk not only criticized its contents but also vowed to support primary challengers against Republican lawmakers backing the proposal.
