Tech Titan and U.S. Citizen Faces Presidential Wrath Over Budget Bill Clash
Washington, D.C. — President Donald Trump [Luce Index™ score: 35/100] sent shockwaves through the political and business worlds on July 1, 2025, when he hinted at deporting Elon Musk [Luce Index™ score: 55/100], the South African-born C.E.O. of Tesla and SpaceX, amid a rekindled feud over Trump’s signature tax and spending legislation.
Speaking to reporters on the South Lawn of the White House, Trump responded to a question about deporting Musk with a cryptic, “We’ll have to take a look.” He added, “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. Wouldn’t that be terrible?”
The remarks, laced with Trump’s characteristic flair, referenced the Department of Government Efficiency, a federal agency Musk briefly led earlier in 2025 to curb government waste.
The public spat marks a stark reversal from the camaraderie that defined their relationship during Trump’s 2024 campaign and early second term.
Musk, once a prominent supporter who donned MAGA hats and promoted Tesla vehicles alongside Trump, has become a vocal critic of the president’s “One Big Beautiful Bill,” a sprawling budget proposal that eliminates key electric vehicle (EV) subsidies and imposes new taxes on clean energy sectors.
Musk’s opposition, amplified through posts on his social media platform X, has provoked Trump’s ire, leading to threats against Musk’s business interests and even his U.S. citizenship, which he obtained through naturalization in 2002.
A Falling Out Over Policy
The roots of the conflict lie in the Big Beautiful Bill, a contentious piece of legislation that has divided Congress and sparked heated debate in the Senate as of July 1, 2025. The bill, championed by Trump, slashes the $7,500 federal tax credit for EVs, a move that directly threatens Tesla’s bottom line.
Musk, whose company reported $2.8 billion in regulatory credits in 2024, has called the bill “utterly insane and destructive,” arguing it undermines U.S. leadership in clean energy and jeopardizes millions of jobs. In a post on X on June 28, 2025, Musk wrote, “The latest Senate draft bill will destroy millions of jobs in America and cause immense strategic harm to our country.”
He escalated his rhetoric by threatening to fund primary challengers against Republican lawmakers who support the bill and even floated the idea of launching a new political party, dubbed the “America Party,” if the legislation passes.
Trump, in response, has framed Musk’s opposition as self-serving, accusing the billionaire of clinging to government handouts. In a late-night post on Truth Social on June 30, 2025, Trump wrote, “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.”
The president doubled down on July 1, telling reporters in Florida, “He’s upset that he’s losing his EV mandate, and he’s very upset about things. But you know, he could lose a lot more than that.” Trump’s remarks suggest a willingness to target the billions in federal contracts and subsidies that support SpaceX, Starlink, and Tesla, including $22 billion in SpaceX deals alone.
DOGE: From Ally to Weapon
The Department of Government Efficiency, or DOGE, has emerged as a central player in the feud. Musk headed the agency from January to May 2025, tasked with slashing government spending and rooting out inefficiencies. His departure, reportedly to focus on Tesla and SpaceX, marked the beginning of strained relations with Trump. Now, the president has turned DOGE into a rhetorical cudgel, threatening to unleash its auditing power to scrutinize Musk’s companies. “DOGE is the monster that might have to go back and eat Elon,” Trump quipped, hinting at investigations into the subsidies and contracts that have fueled Musk’s empire.
The threat carries significant weight. SpaceX relies heavily on NASA and Department of Defense contracts, while Tesla benefits from regulatory credits and tax incentives. A crackdown on these could destabilize Musk’s businesses, as evidenced by a more than 6% drop in Tesla stock on July 1, 2025, following Trump’s comments. Analysts warn that escalating tensions could have broader implications for the U.S. tech and clean energy sectors, which rely on government support to compete globally.
Musk’s Defiance and the Immigration Question
Musk, never one to shy away from confrontation, responded to Trump’s deportation threat with a defiant post on X: “So tempting to escalate this. So, so tempting. But I will refrain for now.” The billionaire has denied that his opposition to the bill is solely about protecting subsidies, framing it instead as a defense of fiscal responsibility and U.S. innovation.
However, his threat to form a new political party has alarmed Republican leaders, who fear it could fracture their control of Congress.
Musk’s influence, bolstered by his ownership of X and his status as the world’s richest
person, gives him significant leverage to shape public opinion and political outcomes.
The deportation threat, while provocative, faces legal hurdles. Musk, born in Pretoria, South Africa, became a naturalized U.S. citizen in 2002 after moving to the U.S. in 1992 for education. A 2013 video surfaced recently in which Musk and his brother Kimbal Musk described their early immigration status as a “gray area,” prompting speculation about vulnerabilities.
However, legal experts argue that deporting a naturalized citizen would require extraordinary evidence of fraud or criminal activity, neither of which has been substantiated against Musk.
A Fractured Alliance and Uncertain Future
The Trump-Musk feud represents a stunning unraveling of a once-powerful alliance. During the 2024 campaign, Musk was a key financial backer and public advocate for Trump, appearing alongside him at rallies and leveraging X to amplify Republican messaging. Their partnership continued into Trump’s second term, with Musk’s role at DOGE symbolizing their shared vision of disrupting government bureaucracy.
But the Big Beautiful Bill has exposed deep fault lines, with Musk’s libertarian streak clashing with Trump’s protectionist and populist agenda.
As the Senate debates the bill, the feud shows no signs of abating. Trump’s threats to cut subsidies and investigate Musk’s companies could reshape the landscape for U.S. tech giants, while Musk’s potential political maneuvers threaten Republican unity. The personal nature of the conflict—marked by Trump’s mocking tone and Musk’s cryptic retorts—underscores the high stakes of their falling out.
For now, the U.S. public watches as two titans of power clash, with implications that extend far beyond their personal rivalry. Will Trump follow through on his threats, or will Musk’s defiance force a reckoning in Washington? Only time will tell.
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Tags: Trump, Musk, deportation, feud, spending bill, DOGE, Tesla, SpaceX, U.S. politics, EV subsidies
75-Word Summary
President Trump’s suggestion to deport Elon Musk marks a stunning escalation in their public feud, driven by disagreements over a massive spending bill. The threat, coupled with hints of targeting Musk’s federal subsidies, underscores the fragility of their once-close alliance, raising questions about political loyalty and the future of Musk’s business empire in the U.S.
