Musk’s rebellion sparks Trump’s wrath: DOGE probe, deportation, loom

In a dramatic escalation of tensions, President Donald Trump has targeted Elon Musk, warning that the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), led by Musk and Vivek Ramaswamy, could scrutinize the substantial government contracts and subsidies fueling Musk’s business ventures.

The salvo comes amid a public clash over a proposed bill that could dismantle electric vehicle (EV) tax credits critical to Tesla’s financial strategy.

Trump fired off a scathing post on Truth Social early Tuesday, stating, “Elon may get more subsidy than any human being in history, by far, and without subsidies, Elon would probably have to close up shop and head back home to South Africa.

“No more Rocket launches, Satellites, or Electric Car Production, and our Country would save a FORTUNE. Perhaps we should have DOGE take a good, hard, look at this? BIG MONEY TO BE SAVED!!!”

The remarks, reported by CNN, underscore Trump’s frustration with Musk’s opposition to the bill, which he claims threatens America’s fiscal health.

At a White House briefing on Tuesday, Trump doubled down, suggesting severe financial repercussions for Musk.

“He’s upset that he’s losing his EV mandate,” Trump said.

“He could lose a lot more than that, I can tell you right now. Elon could lose a lot more than that.”

When pressed about potentially deporting Musk, a U.S. citizen, Trump cryptically replied, “I don’t know, we’ll have to take a look,” adding, “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. Wouldn’t that be terrible? He gets a lot of subsidies. Elon’s very upset that the EV mandate is going to be terminated.”

The feud, as covered by CNN, follows Musk’s vocal criticism of the “One Big Beautiful Bill,” which Trump supports but Musk opposes, citing concerns over rising government debt.

Musk clarified his stance, reposting on X, “Elon’s opposition to the ‘One Big Beautiful Bill’ has never been about its removal of EV tax credits or the EV mandate, it’s simply about his passionate opposition to rising government debt.”

He added, “All I’m asking is that we don’t bankrupt America.”

Musk’s enterprises—SpaceX, Tesla, X, xAI, and Neuralink—rely heavily on federal contracts and policies.

SpaceX, a major government contractor, derives significant revenue from NASA and defense projects.

Tesla, while less dependent on direct contracts, benefits from a $7,500 EV tax credit that bolsters sales and allows higher pricing, potentially worth billions annually.

Additionally, Tesla has earned over $8 billion in regulatory credits from other automakers over six years, a market threatened by Trump’s plan to roll back federal and state emission standards, according to JPMorgan estimates.

The potential loss of EV tax credits could cost Tesla $1.2 billion yearly, with regulatory credit sales losses adding another $2 billion, per CNN’s reporting.

Analyst Dan Ives warned, “At the end of the day being on Trump’s bad side will not turn out well, and Musk knows this.”