U.S President Donald Trump has reportedly threatened to deport billionaire Elon Musk, his former friend and ally, in a twist that has shocked political pundits as well as leaders in the tech industry.
The president issued the comments Tuesday morning on the South Lawn of the White House as he headed to Florida where he is visiting the embattled immigrant staging ground known as Alligator Alcatraz.
I do not know. Trump answered reporters by saying: we will have to look. We may need to Elon in the DOGE. Have you heard about DOGE? The monster who may just have to come back and eat Elon is DOGE.
Trump was pointing out to the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), a newly established agency which was headed by Musk himself before his resignation late last month in May. Ironically, DOGE was created in the context of Trump reducing red tape in federal operations, but in this case might turn against its ex-chief.
Blowback on Spending Bill
The dispute between the president and South African-born Musk seems to have been intensified following Musk lashing out at Trump in a spending bill that Trump had labeled the One Big Beautiful Bill.
The new law included significant backing of electric vehicles (EVs) and Musk was happy about it. These provisions were however removed in the final version, which reportedly led to fury by Musk.
“He is losing his EV mandate. He is upset over things a lot,” Trump said. “But you see, he may lose much more than that. Well I can tell you now. Elon is able to lose much more than that.”
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The remarks of Trump imply that the tension can be now personal, even though Musk was once a significant donor and a close ally of the Trump administration. In point of fact, Musk had been dubbed as one of Trump most reliable supporters when it comes to the president 2024 presidential run, and was even frequently captured on camera in Trump during the initial months of the office.
It used to be so, but not anymore.
Ally to Adversary
A good relationship between the two started to crumble when Musk publicly opposed Trump on his decision to eliminate clean energy provisions in the bill.
On a blistering tweet on X (previously Twitter), Musk blamed the Republican Party of having abandoned innovation and prioritising the interests of fossil fuel donors over the future of America.
The situation further worsened after Musk threatened to create a new political party, the so-called America Party, in case Congress approved the bill without climate and EV credits.
He was out to say either abandon the existing political structure or run the risk of losing the favour of the tech leaders and progressive conservatives.
The reaction of Trump was quick and bitter.
In a post on his Truth Social account on late Monday, Trump wrote:
Otherwise, without subsidies, Elon is likely to have to shut down and go back to South Africa.
The jab was generally taken as a threat of deportation under wraps and now with his remarks on Tuesday the thought has taken center stage in the country.
DOGE in the Forefront
Another twist in the drama is the reference to the DOGE, which is the Department of Government Efficiency mentioned by Trump.
The agency that was formed to watch over waste and inefficiency in the case of the program carried by the government was one of the pet agencies of Musk. He was made the head of it soon after the inauguration of Trump in January 2025.
Today, Trump has made a proposal that DOGE may be utilized to probe the businesses of Musk, namely, Tesla, SpaceX, and Starlink, which all enjoy partial governmental funding.
An aide at the White House told reporters on anonymity that, Elon has enjoyed a good run, and it is time to consider how much taxpayers have been giving him.
Can Elon Be Deported?
Although the possibility of deporting Elon Musk might seem dramatic, the legal analysts explain that it is not very probable.
In spite of being South African, Musk is a naturalized citizen of the United States and, as such, can not be deported unless he is convicted of very particular crimes, including treason.
Political differences or conflicts regarding the subsidies are not even close to the legal margin.
Nevertheless, this threat can be possibly considered as symbolic, i.e., to demonstrate that nobody, even the wealthiest person in the world, is beyond political revenge.
Public and Industry Responses
The internet went berserk after Trump comments were aired.
A tech policy watchdog @TechJusticeNow tweeted:
Deporting Elon Musk because he criticized the spending bill? This is not the way democracies are run.”
In the interim, @LibertyLawUSA said:
Even when Trump is joking, it is dangerous when he says that he wants to deport a U.S. citizen especially when that person helped him be elected.
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Other Republicans seemed uncomfortable with the statements made by the president demanding caution and reminding people of what Musk has done to the American industry and American defense.
Senator Jeff Haywood (R-Texas) said: Elon has accomplished more than NASA in the past 20 years when it comes to the space program in this country. We are not supposed to be turning him personally into an enemy over a bill.
Where Does Musk and Trump Go Now?
Though the scorching remarks have been made, no official investigation by the White House seems to have been launched into Musk yet.
Nevertheless, some people in the know indicate that the Department of Government Efficiency is about to publish an audit on government subsidy connected to the endeavors of Musk.
In the case of Musk, he defies. Musk wrote in a short post hours after Trump comments:
Innovation does not ask any permission. And I am not leaving here.”
It is yet to be determined whether this political standoff will leave a lasting imprint- or another headline in what has been an eventful political season. And this is one thing: the Trump-Musk bromance is dead and the fallout may shake Washington and Silicon Valley.
