Washington: The feud between President Donald Trump and his former ally, Elon Musk, has reignited once again on Tuesday after the world's richest person said he’ll back primary challenges against GOP lawmakers voting for the President’s signature spending bill, prompting Trump to retaliate by threatening to scrap government subsidies for Elon Musk’s firms.

Trump suggested DOGE should take a look at cutting the subsidies that Tesla CEO Elon Musk's companies have received to save the Federal government money. The berating from the US President came after Tesla chief Elon Musk threatened to launch the ‘America Party’ if Trump backed ‘Big Beautiful Bill’ was passed by the US Senate.

Trump launched a fiery tirade against tech billionaire Elon Musk, accusing him of benefiting from massive US government subsidies while attacking the electric vehicle (EV) mandate.

In a characteristically unfiltered social media post, Trump claimed that Musk “may get more subsidy than any human being in history, by far,” and suggested that without such government support, Musk would be forced to “close up shop and head back home to South Africa.”

The remarks come despite Musk having previously endorsed Donald Trump’s Presidential bid, a point the US President addressed directly: “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 reiterated his long-held stance that while electric vehicles “are fine,” consumers should not be compelled to adopt them, calling the mandate “ridiculous.”

In a tone laced with sarcasm, Trump hit at Musk's SpaceX and Tesla, saying, “No more rocket launches, satellites, or electric car production, and our country would save a FORTUNE.”

Taking aim at the financial scale of government support for Musk’s ventures — from Tesla and SpaceX to Starlink — Donald Trump even suggested the DOGE (Department of Government Expenditure) should be brought in to scrutinise the tech mogul’s empire: “Perhaps we should have DOGE take a good, hard look at this? BIG MONEY TO BE SAVED!!!” “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,” Elon Musk posted early on Monday.

A few hours later, the Tesla and SpaceX chief executive doubled down: “If the insane spending bill passes, the America Party will be formed the next day.” He added: “Our country needs an alternative to the Democrat‑Republican uniparty so that the people actually have a VOICE.”

The row escalated when Elon Musk blasted the Senate package for boosting borrowing by a record US$5 trillion: “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!! Time for a new political party that actually cares about the people.”

Musk insists that lost subsidies for electric vehicles and solar power are not his chief concern; instead, he brands the bill “debt slavery” that props up “industries of the past while severely damaging industries of the future”.