President Donald Trump to 'take a look at' potentially deporting Elon Musk
Annoyed Donald Trump said he "will have to look at it" when asked if would deport Elon Musk after the Tesla tycoon stepped up his attack on the US President.
Earlier this month, Trump blasted his former ally, claiming the billionaire is "the man who lost his mind." On his platform X last night, Musk slammed the politician's sweeping tax and spending bill weeks after the one-time friends' spectacular and very public fallout.
Trump questioned government money that Musk has received as he suggested he may have to “head back home” to South Africa. Then, today asked by reporters if he will deport him, the President responded: “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."
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In a post on X, Musk said those who had campaigned on cutting spending having backed the bill "should hang their heads in shame". He added: "And they will lose their primary next year if it is the last thing I do on this Earth." Then, he threatened to put their faces on a poster with the words "liar" and "voted to increase America's debt" by $5trn, around £3.6trn.
The US president has hit back in a bitter feud which has rumbled on over the past few weeks with the world ’s richest man. Musk had doubled down on his distaste for Trump’s sprawling tax and spending cuts bill, arguing the legislation that Republican senators are scrambling to pass would kill jobs and bog down burgeoning industries.
The criticisms reopen a recent fiery conflict between the former head of the Department of Government Efficiency and the administration he recently left. They also represent yet another headache for Republican Senate leaders who have spent the weekend working overtime to get the legislation through their chamber so it can pass by Trump’s Fourth of July deadline.
Earlier this month, ABC News asked the Republican about a call he had planned with Mr Musk later in the day. Mr Trump then responded: "You mean the man who has lost his mind?" The US President said he was "not particularly" interested in talking to him at the moment.
He claimed Mr Musk wanted to speak to him but that he was not ready to speak to the world's wealthiest man. Speaking to CNN's Dana Bash, Mr Trump said: "I’m not even thinking about Elon. He’s got a problem.
"The poor guy’s got a problem." Musk has been a vocal critic of the Republican bill that needs Senate approval to become law. He argues the bill will substantially add to the US national debt that already stands at a staggering $36 trillion.
Other arguments against the bill that have by Democrats is that it will result in Americans' healthcare access being slashed in favour of tax cuts which they argue will benefit the super wealthy.
But Mr Trump has said the bill, which includes many other unrelated items such as a commitment not to regulate AI for several years, will lead to Americans having more money in their pockets.