Trump Threatens To Set Doge On Musk As Pair Feud Again Over Budget Plan
President Donald Trump, asked about deporting Elon Musk as a feud between the two former allies reignited, replied: “I don’t know, we’ll have to take a look.”
Musk was born in South Africa and became a naturalized United States citizen more than two decades ago, he says lawfully, meaning he could not be deported unless it emerged that he had obtained citizenship through fraud or misrepresentation.
The billionaire has sharply criticized Trump’s One Big Beautiful Bill for its multi-trillion-dollar expansion of the U.S. federal debt pile, prompting another outbreak in the war of words between him and the president.
The falling out threatens to be pyrrhic for both men. Musk can cause Trump political headaches by sowing division on the right of politics and backing candidates who would thwart his agenda in the 2026 midterms.
However, Musk enjoys lucrative contracts with the government, which Trump has threatened to revoke.
“We might have to put DOGE on Elon,” Trump told reporters on Tuesday morning, referring to the Department of Government Efficiency, which Musk spearheaded at the White House until May, tasked with cutting fraud and waste in federal spending.
Trump said that “DOGE is the monster that might have to go back and eat Elon,” pointing to the subsidies and contracts Musk’s businesses have from the federal government.
Musk, CEO of Tesla, an electric automaker, has also taken issue with the scrapping of subsidies for electric vehicles in the bill, while those for fossil fuel companies remain in place. He is also the CEO of SpaceX, a space technology firm with billions of dollars in federal contracts.
“It is obvious with the insane spending of this bill, which increases the debt ceiling by a record FIVE TRILLION DOLLARS that we live in a one-party country – the PORKY PIG PARTY!!” Musk posted to his X platform on Monday, ahead of the Senate’s vote on the bill.
“Time for a new political party that actually cares about the people.”
Musk also fired a warning to Republicans in Congress: “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!
“And they will lose their primary next year if it is the last thing I do on this Earth.”
Musk became a naturalized U.S. citizen in 2002 after emigrating from South Africa and attending college in Canada and the U.S.
Under U.S. law, a naturalized citizen can only face deportation if citizenship was obtained by fraud or material misrepresentation.
Although recent public debate has resurfaced allegations about Musk’s initial work status on a student visa in the mid-1990s, those claims remain unsubstantiated, and Musk has publicly denied them, affirming his legal right to work in the U.S.
Multiple federal and state records confirm Musk’s citizenship status, making the prospect of presidentially ordered deportation illegal without formal revocation through the courts.
Trump had already responded to Musk on Truth Social.
“Elon Musk knew, long before he so strongly Endorsed me for President, that I was strongly against the EV Mandate,” Trump posted late on Monday after Musk’s renewed criticism of his bill.
“It is ridiculous, and was always a major part of my campaign. Electric cars are fine, but not everyone should be forced to own one.
“Elon may get more subsidy than any human being in history, by far, and without subsidies, Elon would probably have to close up shop and head back home to South Africa.
“No more Rocket launches, Satellites, or Electric Car Production, and our Country would save a FORTUNE. Perhaps we should have DOGE take a good, hard, look at this? BIG MONEY TO BE SAVED!!!”
The public feud between Trump and Musk has generated speculation about potential impacts on Tesla, and its stock price dropped as the war of words between the two men reopened.
Tesla stock was down by more than 6 percent on Tuesday morning, July 1, and by more than 25 percent for the year to date.
Musk’s politics have prompted a backlash against the automaker, and sales have fallen sharply in its European markets. Meanwhile, newer models of Chinese electric vehicles are putting Tesla under increasing competitive pressure.
“We believe this situation will settle and at the end of the day Musk needs Trump and Trump needs Musk given the AI Arms Race going on between the US and China,” said a note from analysts at Wedbush Securities.
“The jabs between Musk and Trump will continue as the Budget rolls through Congress but Tesla investors want Musk to focus on driving Tesla and stop this political angle…which has turned into a life of its own in a roller coaster ride since the November elections.”
