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1st July 2025
05:03pm BST
Donald Trump may consider deporting his billionaire former ally Elon Musk after the South African Tesla owner ramped up criticisms of the President’s spending bill this week.
Trump and Musk began the year as close political allies, however a recent public fallout saw the world’s richest man removed from his position as head of the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) in Trump’s cabinet.
Now Trump has suggested he may kick Musk, who is a naturalised US citizen although originally from South Africa, out of the country.
As he departed the White House to attend a Florida detention facility, Trump told reporters: “I don’t know. We’ll have to take a look. 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."
The American head of state was speaking in response to scathing criticisms made by Musk of a new bill Trump hopes to pass through the US Senate.
Last night Musk posted broad criticisms of the new spending bill on Twitter/X, the social media platform he owns, threatening political action against any Republican senators who may support the bill.
Musk says the bill will create an extra five trillion dollars of national debt, while Trump claims his former ally is only concerned about his own financial interests rather than those of the country as a whole.
Trump said: “He's upset ... that he's losing his EV mandate ... he's very upset about things, But you know, he could lose a lot more than that. I should tell you, right? Elon can lose a lot more than that.”
In his previous government role, Musk had been in charge of cutting unnecessary government spending in hopes of reducing the USA’s vast national debt, which is valued at over $34 trillion.
However, his department quickly lost national support after DOGE workers and Musk supporters took unorthodox methods to cut funding, even reportedly feeding the country’s entire foreign aid apparatus into what Musk called a “wood chipper.”
The 54-year-old eventually left his position in May and DOGE was essentially shut down.
Regardless of Musk's comments, Trump's supporters in the US Senate face an uphill battle to pass the new bill in time for the President's July 4th deadline, with many said to be working overtime to get the votes they need.
Democratic politicians have criticised the new spending bill, saying it will cut healthcare access for the nation's poorest in favour of tax cuts for richer Americans. Trump says it will lead to Americans having more money in their pockets.
