President Donald Trump stirred up quite a conversation on Tuesday when he suggested that the Department of Government Efficiency might look into Elon Musk. He even entertained the idea of deporting Musk, who is originally from South Africa. As he spoke to reporters outside the White House, Trump made a striking comment: “DOGE is the monster that might have to go back and eat Elon.”
This unusual remark came as Trump was preparing to visit a new immigration detention center in Florida, humorously dubbed “Alligator Alcatraz.” When a reporter asked if he would consider sending Musk back to South Africa, Trump replied, “I don’t know, we’ll have to take a look.”
The tension between Trump and Musk has been growing. Just the night before, Trump criticized Musk on Truth Social. He took issue with Musk’s opposition to his proposed legislation, known as the One Big Beautiful Bill. Musk had previously accused Trump of having ties to Jeffrey Epstein and suggested that Trump was trying to suppress information related to the Epstein Files. However, Musk later expressed regret over some of his harsh comments about Trump, acknowledging that he may have gone too far.
In his Truth Social post, Trump pointed out that Musk has benefitted significantly from government subsidies. He argued that without these financial supports, Musk’s ventures, including electric cars and rocket launches, might not survive. Trump suggested that the country could save a lot of money if Musk had to close up shop and return to South Africa.
The backdrop of this exchange includes Musk’s recent call for a new political party, which he has named the “America Party.” Musk has been vocal about his disapproval of Trump’s reconciliation bill and has indicated that he would support challengers to many Republican lawmakers. He criticized Congress members who campaigned on reducing spending but then voted for significant debt increases. Musk has pledged that if the spending bill passes, he will form the America Party the very next day, advocating for an alternative to the current political landscape.
As the relationship between Trump and Musk continues to evolve, it remains to be seen how these public exchanges will impact their respective political and business futures.