Trump says he’ll look into deporting Musk as fight over bill escalates

Elon Musk and President Donald Trump astatine the White House successful Washington successful March. | Image: Andrew Harnik / Getty Images

President Donald Trump and Elon Musk’s fighting implicit the “big, beautiful” home argumentation bill has returned to the spotlight, with the president telling reporters connected Tuesday that “we’ll person to instrumentality a look” into deporting the billionaire.

He besides projected targeting Musk via the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), saying, “We mightiness person to enactment DOGE connected Elon. You cognize what DOGE is? DOGE is the monster that mightiness person to spell backmost and devour Elon.”

Musk has been a longtime critic of Trump’s fund bill, which helium says helium opposes due to the fact that it volition summation the fund deficit. However, a projected removal of EV taxation credits that assistance Tesla, wherever Musk is CEO, apt plays a role.

After the brace traded insults successful aboriginal June, some had retreated from publically squabbling, and Musk deleted immoderate of his posts connected X — different of his companies — that linked Trump to Jeffrey Epstein, a convicted enactment offender.

Then, connected Monday evening, arsenic the US Senate worked done a “vote-a-rama” successful an effort to walk the bill, Musk started posting connected X again. He reiterated a menace to superior politicians who enactment the measure and said, “If this insane spending measure passes, the America Party volition beryllium formed the adjacent day.” Trump posted a effect connected Truth Social, implying that DOGE (which Musk led earlier publically stepping down successful May) could chopped subsidies for Musk’s companies. Without those subsidies, Trump said, “Elon would astir apt person to adjacent up store and caput backmost location to South Africa.”

Trump’s afloat response, posted connected Truth Social:

Elon Musk knew, agelong earlier helium truthful powerfully Endorsed maine for President, that I was powerfully against the EV Mandate. It is ridiculous, and was ever a large portion of my campaign. Electric cars are fine, but not everyone should beryllium forced to ain one. Elon whitethorn get much subsidy than immoderate quality being successful history, by far, and without subsidies, Elon would astir apt person to adjacent up store and caput backmost location to South Africa. No much Rocket launches, Satellites, oregon Electric Car Production, and our Country would prevention a FORTUNE. Perhaps we should person DOGE instrumentality a good, hard, look astatine this? BIG MONEY TO BE SAVED!!!

Musk responded connected X to Trump’s comments, saying, “So tempting to escalate this. So, truthful tempting. But I volition refrain for now.