That’s not satire—that’s the actual quote from President Donald Trump, who on July 1 told reporters he was considering deporting Elon Musk, his former ally turned political enemy. Musk, who became a U.S. citizen in 2002 after immigrating from South Africa, criticized Trump’s $5 trillion Republican-backed spending bill, calling it “a disgusting abomination” and renaming the GOP the “PORKY PIG PARTY.” Naturally, Trump responded with the emotional restraint of a tired toddler.
“I’ll have to take a look… we might have to put DOGE on Elon… DOGE is the monster that might have to come back and eat Elon,” Trump said, invoking the fake-sounding but very real “Department of Government Efficiency” (DOGE), which Musk once helped lead before their fallout.
The quote would be funny—if it weren’t being said by the actual President of the United States in response to political criticism.
In a follow-up jab, Trump told reporters that Musk “would have to close up shop and head back home to South Africa” if the EV mandate is eliminated, as proposed in the bill. Translation: say goodbye to federal support, your factories, and maybe your citizenship. This isn’t politics. This is a billionaire breakup being weaponized into state-sanctioned revenge.
Elon Musk and Trump Are Locked in a Power Struggle—and They Both Think They Own America
The Trump–Musk spiral has gone from weird to dangerous. Once allies, they’re now throwing legal threats, immigration status, and Epstein accusations at each other like it’s a gladiator match for the worst parts of the internet. When asked if he would deport Musk, Trump said:
“I don’t know, we’ll have to take a look.”
It’s giving strongman energy. It’s also legally impossible.
Musk, for his part, fired back in what may be the chillest tone possible for a man being threatened with deportation:
“So tempting to escalate this. So, so tempting. But I will refrain for now,” he wrote on X.
This, after previously calling for Trump’s impeachment, demanding JD Vance replace him, and hinting that Trump’s name is in the Epstein files.
Former Trump strategist Steve Bannon even jumped in to claim Musk is “illegal” and should be deported “immediately.” Which, again, isn’t just untrue—it’s revealing. The moment a political donor becomes inconvenient, the entire MAGA machine turns its machinery of xenophobia against them. And they don’t care if you’re a citizen or not. That’s the point.
So tempting to escalate this. So, so tempting. But I will refrain for now.
— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) July 1, 2025
See also: Russia Offers Elon Musk Asylum—And No, This Is Not a Cold War Parody
Elon Musk Criticized Trump—and Now Trump Wants Him Gone
Legally speaking, Musk can’t be deported unless it’s proven he lied on his citizenship application. But that’s beside the point. Trump doesn’t need a court case to make the threat land. He just needs the headline. The spectacle. The fear. This is political theater—but it’s also an authoritarian tactic.
Weaponizing immigration threats against a U.S. citizen for dissent sets a terrifying precedent. Today it’s Musk. Tomorrow it could be anyone with a foreign-sounding name and a criticism. The Trump-Musk fallout isn’t just a celebrity slap-fight. It’s a warning. Power doesn’t like to be embarrassed. And Trump is once again reminding the country that he doesn’t just want loyalty—he demands obedience.
