The feud between President Donald Trump and Tesla/SpaceX CEO Elon Musk is rapidly intensifying, and now one of Trump's most influential backers is calling on the president to deport the South African centibillionaire.
According to a Thursday report by the New York Times' Tyler Pager, Steve Bannon – who went from being Trump's 2016 campaign chairman to Trump's official White House chief strategist during his first term – wants his former boss to send the world's richest man back to South Africa. The MAGA podcaster told the Times that he was convinced that Musk's immigration status should be scrutinized.
"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 said.
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The far-right media figure is also suggesting that Trump suspend Musk's security clearances while investigating his immigration status. He added that the administration should also conduct an official probe into Musk's alleged drug use, which the Timesreported on in late May, while also investigating the tech magnate's attempt to get a classified briefing at the Pentagon about the United States' war plans with China should a conflict between the two global superpowers break out.
Bannon has long viewed Musk — who was one of Trump's top campaign donors in the 2024 cycle – as one of his chief rivals. Just before Trump officially kicked off his second term, Bannon and Musk had a public feud over whether the incoming administration should increase or curtail the number of H-1B visas granted to foreign workers.
The ongoing spat between the world's richest man and the 47th president of the United States stems from Musk coming out in opposition to Trump's so-called "One Big Beautiful Bill Act," calling it a "disgusting abomination" and demanding Congress "KILL the BILL." His public criticism of the bill has also led to several Republicans who voted for the bill now attempting to distance themselves from it.
Bannon and Musk also symbolize the two dueling factions within the MAGA coalition, according to conservative journalist Jonah Goldberg of The Dispatch. Goldberg told CNN host Anderson Cooper on Wednesday that Bannon represents the populist/nationalist wing of MAGA that wants to halt immigration and protect social safety nets, whereas Musk represents the tech faction that wants to severely slash safety nets while loosening restrictions on immigration.
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Click here to read the Times' full report (subscription required).