Donald Trump and Elon Musk’s feud reignited this week with the former political allies trading sharp public threats of retribution. The blowup, centered around Musk’s opposition to Trump’s signature tax bill as it moves through Congress, ends a period of rapprochement between two of the world’s most powerful men.
Musk posted escalating attacks against the big, beautiful bill on his social media platform X, calling the legislation “insane” and vowing to form a new political party if it passed late Monday. In response, Trump claimed he could “look into” deporting the South Africa-born billionaire, while also suggesting he could cut government subsidies for Musk’s companies or set the so-called “department of government efficiency” (Doge) on its former leader.
“Doge is the monster that might have to go back and eat Elon. Wouldn’t that be terrible?” Trump asked reporters on Tuesday.
Musk’s attempt to derail the tax bill was a major factor in his falling out with the president last month, and the Tesla CEO’s renewed offensive comes at a sensitive time as Trump seeks to shepherd the legislation through Congress. The fight could test Musk’s political influence over the Republican party as he seeks to peel away votes for the bill, as well as further deteriorate his once-close relationship with Trump.
Musk has repeatedly criticized Trump’s sweeping policy bill for its potential to nullify the cuts to the federal government he made through Doge and for the likelihood it will add trillions to the national debt, which he has warned will “bankrupt America” and imperil his dream of reaching Mars. Musk, a top Republican megadonor, intensified his campaign in recent days with threats that he would form his own “America Party” and target lawmakers in upcoming elections who voted for the bill in 2026 primary elections.
“Every member of Congress who campaigned on reducing government spending and then immediately voted for the biggest debt increase in history should hang their head in shame!” Musk posted. “They will lose their primary next year if it is the last thing I do on this Earth”.
Trump has rejected Musk’s criticisms of the bill, alleging that the Tesla CEO’s opposition is because the bill would end a tax credit for consumers purchasing electric vehicles.
“Elon’s very upset that the EV mandate is gonna be terminated,” Trump said on Tuesday. “Not everybody wants an electric car. I don’t want an electric car.”
When a reporter asked if Trump is considering deporting Musk, he responded that he didn’t know but would “take a look”. Musk replied to a video of the statement on X, saying “so tempting to escalate this. So, so tempting. But I will refrain for now.” Trump bought a Tesla in March.
skip past newsletter promotion
after newsletter promotion
Trump’s remarks were a stark turnaround from only months ago when he hosted a showcase for Tesla on the White House lawn in front of media, during which he encouraged his supporters to buy Musk’s cars and sat in the driver’s seat of a red Model S sedan. In contrast, Trump threatened this week that he could destroy Musk’s businesses.
“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,” Trump posted on his Truth Social platform on Monday. “No more Rocket launches, Satellites, or Electric Car Production, and our Country would save a FORTUNE.”
Musk’s companies, especially SpaceX, are closely intertwined with US government agencies and have received billions of dollars in contracts from them. The government has meanwhile come to rely on SpaceX for key parts of its space travel and satellite communications programs, and the company is being considered for a role in building a new multibillion dollar missile defense program. The symbiotic relationship between Musk and the government has made any political tensions sensitive for his businesses, and Tesla’s share price declined on Monday and Tuesday as the feud continued.
Araghchi reported that he had emphasized Tehran’s deep mistrust of the United States during the call. He also condemned the “destructive approach” that “some European countries” and IAEA Director General Rafael Grossi had taken to the recent conflict between Israel and Iran. Their support for Israel and the United States complicates diplomatic efforts, Araghchi said, although he didn’t specify which countries he meant.
The call between Kallas and Araghchi came amid heightened international concern over Iran’s nuclear ambitions following the collapse of its 2015 nuclear deal with the U.S. and Washington’s dramatic June 21 strikes on its nuclear enrichment facilities. That strike snuffed out a nascent effort by European politicians to defuse tensions in talks with Araghchi.
Hostilities between Iran and Israel have also escalated over the past fortnight with a series of strikes and counterstrikes, culminating on Tuesday with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s declaration of victory in the country’s “Rising Lion” operation to curb Iran’s nuclear capabilities. However, some reports suggest Iran’s nuclear program has been delayed by a few months at most.
A ceasefire announced last week by U.S. President Donald Trump appears to be holding. Netanyahu’s office announced on Tuesday that the Israeli leader will visit the U.S. next week to meet with Trump, underscoring ongoing diplomatic efforts to keep the peace.
Italy’s hard-right government has agreed to issue 500,000 visas for non-EU workers over the next three years, but a top trade union warned Tuesday that only structural change would tackle labour shortages.
The government of far-right Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni said a total of 497,550 workers would be allowed in over the 2026-2028 period, starting with around 165,000 in 2026.
This is up from the 450,000 quota set by Meloni’s government for 2023-2025 period — itself a sharp increase on the 75,700 quota for 2022 and around 70,000 for 2021.
Meloni, the leader of the far-right Brothers of Italy party, has sought to reduce the number of undocumented migrants to Italy.
But her government has also increased pathways for legal migration for non-EU workers to tackle labour shortages in an ageing country with a sluggish birth rate.
The greatest number of visas over the next three years — some 267,000 — will be given for seasonal work in the agricultural and tourism sectors.
Italy’s main agricultural lobby, Coldiretti, welcomed the new visa plan as an “important step forward to ensure the availability of workers in the fields, and with it, food production”.
But a top official in the CGIL trade union — Italy’s oldest and largest — said Tuesday the new quotas did not address migration dynamics and labour needs.
Maria Grazia Gabrielli pointed to the number of applications that were far lower than the available quotas, with the exception of domestic work.
In 2023 and 2024, only 7.5-7.8 percent of the quotas actually resulted in a residence permit, she said in a statement, pointing to their ineffectiveness.
Gabrielli criticised the government’s policy of prioritising applicants from countries who discourage their nationals from illegally migrating to Italy.
A 2023 decree allowed preferential quotas from countries, such as those in North Africa, who help Italy fight human traffickers and conduct media campaigns warning of the dangers of crossing the Mediterranean.
She called it a system “that takes no account whatsoever of the reasons for migration dynamics and the need for a response that does not focus on punitive logic and rewards for some countries”.
Italy’s foreign worker policy is fraught with loopholes and possibilities for fraud, with criminal gangs exploiting the system and even foreign workers already in Italy applying for visas.
The union leader said structural work was needed — including regularising workers already in Italy — to help employers struggling to find labour and to try to keep foreign workers out of irregular situations.
JERUSALEM, July 1 (Xinhua) — Houthi forces fired a missile toward Israel on Tuesday night, triggering air raid sirens in central and southern parts of the country before it was intercepted, the Israeli military said in a statement.
“A missile that was launched from Yemen was intercepted by the IAF (Israel Air Force),” the military said, adding that sirens were activated.
No injuries were reported.
Houthi forces have repeatedly targeted Israel with missiles and drones, citing solidarity with the Palestinians in Gaza. The group has said it would halt its attacks if Israel ends its offensive and lifts the siege on the enclave. In response, Israel has carried out multiple airstrikes in Yemen, targeting key ports, airport, and other infrastructure.
In a separate statement, Israeli military said it had intercepted two rockets fired from the Gaza Strip toward southern Israel on Tuesday evening. No injuries were reported.
This came amid intensified Israeli attacks in the enclave and renewed calls for a ceasefire.
Rocket fire from Gaza has significantly decreased during the 21-month Israeli offensive, which has killed at least 56,647 Palestinians and injured 134,105 others, according to figures from Gaza’s health authorities. ■
Lisbon, Portugal, 1 July 2025 – His Highness the Aga Khan and Ajay Banga, President of the World Bank, met today at the Diwan of the Ismaili Imamat in Lisbon, Portugal. Having last met at the World Bank headquarters in Washington, DC in February 2024, this was their first meeting since His Highness assumed office as the 50th hereditary Imam of the Shia Ismaili Muslims and Chair of the Aga Khan Development Network (AKDN).
They discussed matters of mutual interest, including development priorities in Afghanistan and the wider Central Asia region, Syria, addressing the climate crisis, expanding clean energy in Africa, and job creation.
The World Bank and AKDN have a long history of collaboration and partnership, spanning multiple countries and sectors, including energy, financial services and telecommunications, as well as agribusiness, community development, entrepreneurship, health, microfinance and tourism.
Kazakh President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev signed a law on Monday prohibiting individuals from wearing clothing in public places that covers their faces, joining a trend in several Central Asian countries to restrict forms of Islamic dress.
The text of the law says clothing that “interferes with facial recognition” will be banned in public, with exemptions for medical purposes, in adverse weather conditions and at sporting and cultural events.
The legislation, one in a series of wider amendments signed into law on Monday, does not explicitly mention religion or types of religious dress.
Tokayev has previously praised the legislation as an opportunity to celebrate ethnic identity in Kazakhstan, a majority-Muslim country and former Soviet republic.
“Rather than wearing face-concealing black robes, it’s much better to wear clothes in the national style,” he was quoted by Kazakh media as saying earlier this year.
“Our national clothes vividly emphasise our ethnic identity, so we need to popularise them comprehensively.”
Other Central Asian countries have introduced similar laws in recent years.
Police in Kyrgyzstan have conducted street patrols to enforce their ban on the niqab face veil, according to local media reports. In Uzbekistan, violating the niqab statute carries a fine of over $250. Tajik President Emomali Rakhmon signed a ban on wearing clothing in public that is “alien to national culture”.
The feud between President Donald Trump and his former ally, Elon Musk, escalated Tuesday as the president said he’ll look into potentially deporting the Tesla CEO and threatened probes into his companies, after Musk vowed to back primary challenges against GOP lawmakers voting for the president’s signature spending bill.
Tesla CEO Elon Musk speaks alongside U.S. President Donald Trump to reporters in the Oval Office of … More the White House.
Getty Images
Key Facts
Speaking to reporters outside the White House on Tuesday, Trump was asked if he’ll deport the South African-born billionaire who is a naturalized U.S. citizen and said: “I don’t know. We’ll have to take a look.”
According to the Daily Mail’s Emily Goodin, Trump said he might have to “put DOGE on Elon…DOGE is the monster that might have to go back and eat Elon,” referring to the cost-cutting agency that was the brainchild of Musk.
“I don’t think he should be playing that game with me,” Trump warned Musk in late morning comments to reporters, confirming he’ll order DOGE to “look at Musk.”
Replying to a video of the Trump deportation threat, Musk wrote “so tempting to escalate this,” but he would “refrain for now,” though he ominously added, “Physics sees through all lies perfectly.”
Musk attacked the spending bill in a series of posts on X on Monday night and early Tuesday morning, saying: “Every member of Congress who campaigned on reducing government spending,” and backed the mega bill “will lose their primary next year if it is the last thing I do on this Earth.”
The billionaire then tweeted, “If this insane spending bill passes, the America Party will be formed the next day,” as he bashed what he described as the “Democrat-Republican uniparty.”
What Has Trump Said In Response?
In a post on his Truth Social platform, the president responded to Musk’s criticism of his signature spending bill by threatening to scrap government subsidies provided to the billionaire’s companies. Trump wrote: “Elon Musk knew, long before he so strongly Endorsed me for President, that I was strongly against the EV Mandate. It is ridiculous, and was always a major part of my campaign.” Trump then claimed: “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.” The president suggested the Department of Government Efficiency—which was previously led by Musk—should “take a good, hard, look” at the subsidies offered to companies like SpaceX and Tesla. Musk shot back on X, by daring Trump to slash the subsidies: “I am literally saying CUT IT ALL. Now.”
Tangent
Musk later said anyone who votes for the legislation after campaigning “on the PROMISE of REDUCING SPENDING” will see their face on a poster of Pinocchio with the caption “LIAR” followed by the text “Voted to increase America’s Debt by $5,000,000,000,000.” The X owner reshared the results of an unscientific poll he conducted on the platform last month during his public blow-up with the president and wrote “VOX POPULI VOX DEI 80% voted for a new party.” While criticizing the backers of the spending bill, Musk also boosted some of its prominent critics within the GOP, including some who have been the targets of Trump’s ire. Musk retweeted a post by Rep. Thomas Massie, R-Ky., who Trump called a “Third Rate Congressman,” which said: “‘BBB’ = our credit rating if this bill becomes law.” Musk then vowed to support Massie’s reelection bid next year. Musk also reshared posts made by Sen. Thom Tillis, R-N.C., whom Trump threatened to primary before he announced his decision not to seek reelection. Tillis had reshared a Musk post which appeared to criticize the spending bill for targeting solar and battery tech, and wrote: “Folks, Elon Musk is 100% right, and he understands this issue better than anyone. We should take his warnings seriously.” Earlier on Monday, Musk had attacked the GOP and the spending bill, tweeting: “It is obvious with the insane spending of this bill, which increases the debt ceiling by a record FIVE TRILLION DOLLARS that we live in a one-party country – the PORKY PIG PARTY!!”
Big Number
6%. That’s how much shares of Tesla dropped in premarket trading in response to the battle between its CEO and the U.S. president.
Key Background
Musk, who left his role as a Trump administration “special government employee” late in May, has since attacked the so-called “Big Beautiful Bill” backed by the president and the House GOP. The billionaire previously described himself as Trump’s “first buddy,” but eventually directed his ire directly at the president by sharing older clips of the president bashing Republicans for raising the debt ceiling. The feud escalated after the president accused Musk of having “Trump Derangement Syndrome,” a phrase he often uses to target his critics. This launched a social media war between them, during which Trump threatened to scrap Musk’s government contracts. The billionaire retorted with a now-deleted tweet alleging without evidence that Trump’s name was in the Epstein files. Both individuals appeared to have reached a detente until Monday, with Musk even tweeting he regretted some of his “posts about President Donald Trump,” which he said “went too far.”
Further Reading
The Musk Vs. Trump Feud Timeline (Forbes)
Musk Says He Regrets His Posts Bashing Trump Last Week—‘Went Too Far’ (Forbes)
