President Donald Trump on Tuesday appeared willing to consider deporting Elon Musk, the former head of the Department of Government Efficiency, who recently took to social media to torpedo Trump’s “big, beautiful bill.” Tensions have stretched between the two after a month of relative quiet.
“I don’t know. We’ll have to take a look. We might have to put DOGE on Elon,” Trump told reporters Tuesday morning before traveling to the Florida Everglades to visit a migrant detention center. “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,” Trump continued.
The conflict between the duo exploded this week when Musk began trashing Trump’s major legislative push, pledging to primary congressmen who supported it and even create a rival party. Trump responded early Tuesday morning, blaming Musk’s new offensive on bitterness over the lack of a “ridiculous” electric vehicle subsidy in the bill.
“But Elon is very upset that the EV mandate is going to be terminated. And you know what? When you look at it … not everybody wants an electric car. I don’t want an electric car,” Trump said Tuesday morning.
Trump also warned that “Elon could lose a lot more than” the electric vehicle mandate, likely alluding to his previous threats, first made on June 5, to withdraw contracts for Musk’s companies.
Trump threatened several of Musk’s government contracts in a post to Truth Social in the midnight hour on Tuesday.
“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,” Trump said in a post on Truth Social. “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!!!”
Musk was active on social media after Trump’s hit but didn’t address it directly, instead devoting his posts to criticism of the GOP megabill. He also pledged to back Rep. Thomas Massie (R-KY), whom Trump is looking to oust over his opposition to the bill.
Musk began ramping up his criticism of the “big, beautiful bill” on Sunday and escalated it on Monday in a series of posts on X.
“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 said on Monday. “Time for a new political party that actually cares about the people.”
“How can you call yourself the Freedom Caucus if you vote for a DEBT SLAVERY bill with the biggest debt ceiling increase in history?” he added, tagging Reps. Andy Harris (R-MD) and Chip Roy (R-TX).
Musk said he would turn his threats into action in a follow-up post.
“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,” he vowed, saying his new “America Party” would be formed the day after the bill passes.
The turn signals the likely end of Trump and Musk’s partnership, which was dramatically ruptured on June 5, just one month shy of their partnership’s anniversary on July 13. Tensions eased throughout the rest of the month due to allies’ intervention and the shifting of attention to greater concerns, such as the war between Iran and Israel.
The president gave a charitable assessment of Musk in a Friday interview with Fox Business host Maria Bartiromo, which was aired on Sunday.
“He got a little bit upset, and you know that wasn’t appropriate,” Trump said of Musk about their June 5 blowup, adding that he has “not spoken to him much” since.
Trump again pinned the reason for the public argument on the rescission of electric vehicle subsidies, though he sprinkled praise for Musk throughout, calling him “fantastic.”
Musk had begun scaling back some of his rhetoric, saying he regretted “some” of what he said on June 5 and that he had gone “too far.” Now, indications suggest the rift is permanent.
Philip Low, a neuroscientist and former longtime friend of Musk, warned Politico earlier this week that the tech mogul would go scorched earth against Trump.
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“I’ve had my share of blowouts with Elon over the years,” Low said in a Sunday interview. “Knowing Elon the way I know him, I do think he’s going to do everything to damage the president.”
“He has been humiliated,” he continued. “The whole idea that Elon is going to be on his side and help woo Congress and invest in election campaigns for right-wing judges — Elon might do all of that, but deep down, it’s over.”