US President Donald Trump on Tuesday lambasted his former ally Elon Musk, saying the tech billionaire would “head back home to South Africa” if federal subsidies on electric vehicles were cut.
Trump’s latest attack on Musk came after the Tesla’s owner criticized President’s sweeping tax-cut and spending bill, saying he would campaign against lawmakers who support the government spending bill.
“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!!!,” Trump said in a post on Truth Social, referring to the federal Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE).
It is worth mentioning that Trump has earlier threatened to cut Musk’s government subsidies and contracts when their relationship dissolved into an all-out brawl on social media in June over the bill.
Musk’s businesses include rocket company and government contractor SpaceX, which has about $22 billion in federal contracts, and its satellite unit Starlink.
His rift with Trump also caused volatility for Tesla, with shares of the electric car company losing about $150 billion of its market value on June 5, the largest single-day decline in the company’s history, though it has since recovered.
