‘Deport immediately’: Republicans swing in behind Trump
Republicans have launched scathing attacks on Elon Musk after his ugly public spat with US President Donald Trump – with one key ally even calling for the tech billionaire’s deportation.
It came after the Trump-Musk bromance abruptly soured on Thursday as the President threatened to strip Musk of government contracts, while the X-owner said Trump should be impeached.
Musk also dropped what he said was “the really big bomb”, alleging – without evidence – that Trump was implicated in the Jeffrey Epstein files.
Amid the fallout, Republicans have taken sides – mostly Trump’s.
Among them is former White House adviser Steve Bannon, who urged Trump to investigate Elon Musk’s immigration status and deport the South Africa-born billionaire.
“They should initiate a formal investigation of his immigration status because I am of the strong belief that he is an illegal alien, and he should be deported from the country immediately,” Bannon, a frequent critic of Musk, told The New York Times on Thursday.
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He later doubled down on the allegation on his Bannon’s War Room live webcast.
“Elon Musk is illegal, and he’s got to go,” Bannon said. “He’s illegal? Deport immediately.”
Congressional Republicans also backed in Trump.
“We’re getting people calling our offices 100 per cent in support of President Trump,” Kevin Hern, a member of House Republican leadership said.
“Every tweet that goes out, people are more lockstep behind President Trump and [Musk is] losing favour.”
Another Republican, Lloyd Smucker, said Musk was “starting to look a little crazy” and “was always an important voice, but … it’s going to be a lot more people weighing what Trump has to say than what Musk has to say”.
The hostilities ignited when Trump criticised Musk in the Oval Office on Thursday. Within hours, the once-close relationship had disintegrated in full public view, as the world’s most powerful man and its richest launched personal barbs at each other on Trump’s Truth Social and Musk’s X.
“The easiest way to save money in our Budget, Billions and Billions of Dollars, is to terminate Elon’s Governmental Subsidies and Contracts,” Trump posted on Truth Social.
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“I was always surprised that Biden didn’t do it!”
Soon after Musk replied, “Yes,” to a post on X saying Trump should be impeached. Trump’s Republicans hold majorities in both chambers of Congress and are highly unlikely to impeach him.
The trouble started brewing days ago, when Musk denounced Trump’s signature tax-cut and spending legislation. Trump was silent initially while Musk campaigned to torpedo the bill, saying it would add too much to America’s $US36.2 trillion ($A55.6 trillion) debt.
On Thursday, Trump could take no more. He told media he was “very disappointed” in Musk.
“Elon and I had a great relationship. I don’t know if we will anymore,” he said.
While Trump spoke, Musk responded with increasingly acerbic posts on X.
“Without me, Trump would have lost the election,” wrote Musk, who spent nearly $US300 million ($A460 million) backing Trump and other Republicans in the 2024 election.
“Such ingratitude.”
In another post, Musk asserted that Trump’s signature tariffs would push the US into a recession later in 2025.
The feud was not entirely unexpected. Trump and Musk are both political pugilists with sizeable egos and a penchant for using social media to punch back against their perceived enemies. Observers had long predicted an eventual falling out.
Even before Musk’s departure from the administration last week, his influence had waned following clashes with Trump cabinet members over his widespread government cuts.
For Trump, the fight is his first major rift with a top adviser since taking office for a second time. His first term was marked by numerous blow-ups.
Musk – the biggest Republican donor to the 2024 presidential campaign – became one of Trump’s most visible advisers as head of the Department of Government Efficiency, which mounted a sweeping and controversial effort to downsize the federal workforce and slash spending.
He was a frequent visitor to the White House, Capitol Hill and Trump’s Florida home Mar-a-Lago, often carrying his young son.
Only last week, Trump and Musk appeared together in the Oval Office for the billionaire’s official departure from the administration. Trump praised Musk’s service and both men promised to continue working together.
