Without subsidy you would probably close up shop and head back to South Africa - TRUMP hits back at ELON MUSK over threats to form new party to unseat lawmakers who support his bill

Tuesday, July 1, 2025 - US President, Donald Trump threatened to impose more subsidies on Elon Musk’s Tesla company, warning his former ally that he may have “to close up shop and head back home to South Africa.”

This comes after the world’s richest man, Elon Musk, revealed plans to sponsor the formation of a new party in the United States to challenge the two dominant parties; the Republican and Democratic parties.

As the Senate debated President Donald Trump’s “Big, Beautiful Bill” on Monday before a final vote, Musk issued a stark warning via his social media platform X.

“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! And they will lose their primary next year if it is the last thing I do on this Earth,” he wrote.

A few hours later, he went further, declaring on X that if the “insane spending bill passes, the America Party will be formed the next day.”

“Our country needs an alternative to the Democrat-Republican uniparty so that the people actually have a VOICE,” he wrote.

Trump has now hit back against Musk and threatened to take action against the tech billionaire.

“Elon Musk knew, long before he so strongly Endorsed me for President, that I was strongly against the EV Mandate,” the president posted on Truth Social early Tuesday.

“It is ridiculous, and was always a major part of my campaign. Electric cars are fine, but not everyone should be forced to own one.”

The commander-in-chief then warned the SpaceX CEO that if his government subsidies were taken away, he’d have no choice but to return to his native South Africa.

“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 wrote.

“No more Rocket launches, Satellites, or Electric Car Production, and our Country would save a FORTUNE.”

Doubling down on the threat, Trump said he may turn DOGE against Musk to investigate his government subsidies.

“Perhaps we should have DOGE take a good, hard, look at this? BIG MONEY TO BE SAVED!!!” Trump concluded

The bill, now in the Republican-controlled Senate, is strongly opposed by Democratic lawmakers who argue that it will provide tax cuts for the super rich, cut healthcare and Medicaid for over one million poor Americans and slash school feeding for millions of children from poor homes.