US President Donald Trump has warned Tesla and SpaceX CEO Elon Musk that he may face deportation to South Africa if electric vehicle (EV) subsidies are withdrawn.
Trump issued the statement late Tuesday (US time) on his Truth Social platform, escalating tensions between the former allies.
“Elon Musk knew, long before he so strongly Endorsed me for President, that I was strongly against the EV Mandate,” Trump wrote. “Electric cars are fine, but not everyone should be forced to own one.” He claimed Musk received more subsidies than any person in history and may have to ‘close up shop and head back home to South Africa’ without them.
Trump added, “No more Rocket launches, Satellites, or Electric Car Production, and our Country would save a FORTUNE.” He even called on DOGE—the Department of Government Efficiency, which Musk once headed—to investigate the matter.
In response, Musk attacked lawmakers who supported the so-called ‘One Big Beautiful Bill’—Trump’s 940-page tax-cut and spending package.
The US Senate narrowly advanced the bill on Saturday with a 51–49 procedural vote. The package includes extended 2017 tax cuts, increased military and border spending, and cuts to Medicaid, food stamps, and renewable energy programmes.
“Every member of Congress who campaigned on reducing government spending and then immediately voted for the biggest debt increase in history should hang their head in shame!” Musk posted on X. He added, “And they will lose their primary next year if it is the last thing I do on this Earth.”
Musk also threatened to form a new political party, the “American Party,” if the bill passes in the Senate.
The EV subsidies controversy highlights a growing divide between Trump and Musk. Once close allies, the two now find themselves on opposite sides of a heated policy debate.
Trump argues that EV mandates and subsidies distort the market, while Musk defends their role in advancing innovation and clean technology.
Trump’s comments have drawn criticism from both sides, with some calling the deportation remark extreme. Meanwhile, Musk’s aggressive political stance signals a shift from tech entrepreneur to vocal political agitator.
The outcome of the Senate debate could shape not only US economic policy but also the future of the electric vehicle industry.
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