Trump Threatens to Expel Musk After Tensions Escalate Over Spending Bill

The feud between President Donald Trump and Elon Musk has reached new heights, with the president publicly warning that Musk may be expelled from the United States following a series of contentious remarks regarding a massive spending bill.

The tensions between the two former allies escalated over Musk’s criticism of the legislation, which is expected to significantly increase the national debt.

In a remarkable turn of events, President Trump has suggested that Musk might have to return to his home country of South Africa, despite Musk’s status as a naturalized American citizen.

The conflict began when Musk took to the social media platform X (formerly Twitter) to criticize Republican lawmakers who had supported the $1 trillion spending bill, which Trump himself had championed.

Musk, calling the bill “big and beautiful,” warned that it would only serve to inflate the national debt and jeopardize the economic future of the United States. His comments quickly drew the ire of Trump, who retaliated by suggesting that Musk could be forced to return to South Africa if his criticism continued.

Trump’s statement on Truth Social on July 1st was a sharp rebuke. He wrote, "Elon may have to shut down and return to South Africa," a remark that some saw as a veiled threat of expulsion.

When asked by reporters if this meant he was considering deportation for Musk, Trump replied, "We will have to consider it." This sparked further debate about the future of Musk’s relationship with the U.S. government, especially given his immense influence in both the tech industry and political circles.

In a striking move, Trump suggested that the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), an initiative Musk had previously led, could be used to investigate Musk's actions and impose consequences.

Musk, who had once been a close ally of Trump, responded by downplaying the confrontation, stating he would "refrain from escalating the situation" on X. However, the situation was far from resolved, with Trump continuing to attack Musk publicly during a visit to Florida later that day.

Trump's frustrations with Musk seemed to stem from a combination of factors. Beyond the spending bill, the two had a complicated history. Musk had made significant financial contributions to Trump’s 2024 re-election campaign, donating over $270 million to support Trump and other Republican candidates.

However, as Trump’s spending bill progressed, Musk’s criticism became more vocal, revealing deep rifts between the two figures. Musk was not only concerned about the bill's potential to increase the national deficit but also about how the legislation would affect Tesla, his electric vehicle company.

Musk had previously lobbied for electric vehicle mandates, which were eliminated in the new bill, adding fuel to the fire of his frustrations.

In an interview on July 1st, Trump reaffirmed his stance that Musk’s anger was due to the elimination of the electric vehicle mandate, which he believed was a direct threat to Tesla’s future.

Trump stated, "Musk should know I couldn’t keep that provision. I campaigned on this for two years, and I don’t understand why he’s acting this way." He also warned that if Musk continued to fund Democratic candidates, there would be serious consequences.

"If Elon funds the Democrats, he will face repercussions," Trump warned, reinforcing the tension between them. The two had been allies in the past, with Musk being one of Trump’s most high-profile supporters during the 2016 election.

However, their relationship has soured over time, particularly as Musk’s political views have evolved. While Trump has always supported a deregulatory agenda that aligns with Musk’s business interests, Musk has grown increasingly disillusioned with the political establishment, particularly with the way the spending bill was handled.

Musk’s decision to donate to Republican campaigns, including Trump’s, had once been seen as a symbol of alignment, but now, it appears to be a point of contention.

Musk’s growing discontent with the spending bill also led to his promise to take action against Republican lawmakers who supported the bill. In a direct challenge to the establishment, Musk declared he would fund primary challengers to unseat those Republican members who voted in favor of the legislation.

"If it’s the last thing I do, I’ll help get rid of these Republicans," Musk posted on X, signaling his willingness to take on those he sees as betraying fiscal conservatism.

The battle between Musk and Trump also appears to have affected the stock market. Tesla’s stock, which is often influenced by Musk’s public statements and actions, saw a significant drop in market value following the escalation of their feud.

At one point, Tesla’s market capitalization lost approximately $150 billion before beginning a slow recovery. The volatility of Tesla’s stock is a reminder of how interconnected Musk’s public persona is with the performance of his company on the global financial stage.

In the weeks leading up to the public confrontation, Musk had remained relatively quiet about the spending bill. However, once the Senate began to debate the legislation, Musk took to social media to voice his opposition.

His criticisms were not just limited to the bill but also extended to the Republican Party, accusing them of abandoning their fiscal responsibility in favor of short-term political gains.

Musk’s frustrations boiled over as he saw the bill, which he believed would exacerbate the national debt, as a betrayal of the principles he had long championed.

The feud reached a breaking point when Musk went further, claiming that without his support, Trump would not have won the 2020 election and that the Republican Party would have been in a much worse position in Congress.

This statement, though exaggerated by some, highlighted the growing rift between Musk and Trump. In the past, Musk had been a significant political donor and backer of Trump’s agenda, but now he was positioning himself as an outsider, willing to challenge the political system he had once supported.

Trump, for his part, responded with characteristic defiance. He threatened to cancel all government contracts with Musk’s companies, particularly in light of Musk’s growing support for Democratic candidates.

The Trump administration had once viewed Musk’s ventures as an essential part of the U.S. economy, but now the two men were locked in a public spat that could have far-reaching implications for both their futures.

Musk, on the other hand, has shown no signs of backing down. Despite the president’s threats, Musk has continued to press his agenda, even going so far as to make direct challenges to the political establishment.

His call for primary challengers to oust Republicans who supported the spending bill reflects his deep frustration with the status quo and his growing desire to reshape American politics.

Whether or not Musk’s influence will be enough to shift the political landscape remains to be seen, but one thing is clear: the rivalry between Musk and Trump is far from over.

As the situation develops, it is unclear whether Musk’s actions will result in real political change or whether he will simply become a more divisive figure in American politics.

What is certain is that the relationship between Musk and Trump has irreversibly shifted, and the fallout from their public feud will likely continue to shape the political discourse for months, if not years, to come.