US President Donald Trump has dramatically escalated his war of words with Elon Musk, threatening on Tuesday to deport the tech billionaire and strip his companies of federal funding—marking the lowest point yet in the unraveling of what was once a close political alliance.
Speaking to reporters on his way to the unveiling of a Florida migrant detention facility nicknamed “Alligator Alcatraz,” Trump, 79, left little doubt about his intentions: “We’ll have to take a look,” he said when asked whether Musk, a US citizen since 2002, should be deported. He then hinted that government contracts awarded to Musk’s companies, SpaceX and Starlink, could also be on the chopping block.
“We might have to put DOGE on Elon,” Trump said, referencing the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE)—a new agency Musk helped launch before resigning in protest. “DOGE is the monster that might have to go back and eat Elon.”
Musk responded cryptically but defiantly on his social platform X: “So tempting to escalate this. So, so tempting. But I will refrain for now.” Tesla stock dropped by nearly five percent after Trump’s remarks.
From Bromance to Battle
Musk, once Trump’s biggest donor and political ally during the 2024 election, served as head of DOGE in the early days of Trump’s return to power. The two appeared inseparable—often photographed together, both donning MAGA hats. Trump even went so far as to endorse Tesla’s EVs after activists targeted the company.
But the alliance unraveled in May, when Musk broke with the administration over Trump’s sweeping “One Big Beautiful Bill”—a flagship spending proposal Musk claims would drive the US deeper into debt while cutting clean energy incentives. Musk left DOGE soon after and began openly opposing the bill.
“Without subsidies, Elon would probably have to close up shop and head back home to South Africa,” Trump wrote on his Truth Social account Monday, stoking further tension.
Musk Plots Political Payback
Musk has since launched a salvo of attacks on the bill, calling it fiscally irresponsible and accusing Republicans of betraying their small-government promises. “All I’m asking is that we don’t bankrupt America,” Musk said Tuesday, slamming the bill as a form of “debt slavery.”
In a move likely to alarm GOP leaders, Musk has threatened to bankroll primary challengers against lawmakers who vote for the bill. He’s also floated launching a new political movement—the “America Party”—and ran a poll on X, claiming “80% voted for a new party.”
The drama is unfolding as the bill lurches through a divided Congress and Trump faces increasing pressure to unite the Republican base ahead of the 2026 midterms. But with Musk’s fortune and digital empire turned against him, Trump may now be facing one of the most formidable adversaries of his political career—one he once called a “national treasure.”
The Bottom Line
A year ago, Trump and Musk were working hand in hand to reshape Washington. Today, they are trading threats and jabs. What began as a mutual embrace of disruption has morphed into a high-stakes political brawl—one that could reshape the American right and Silicon Valley alike.