It’s not every day that a former White House chief strategist demands the deportation of a billionaire who once helped bankroll his movement. But here we are.
Steve Bannon, the MAGA kingmaker turned podcast flamethrower, told The New York Times he believes Elon Musk is “an illegal alien” and called on Donald Trump to launch a formal investigation into his immigration status. He wants Musk’s security clearance revoked, his alleged drug use scrutinized, and—yes—Musk deported.
“He should be deported from the country immediately,” Bannon said.
This isn’t satire. This is the GOP, 2025.
Bannon’s meltdown comes amid an increasingly public and petty feud between Musk and Trump. What started as political flirting has turned into full-on fallout. Just days ago, Trump slammed Musk for criticizing his so-called “big, beautiful bill” that narrowly passed in the House. Musk clapped back, posting on X (formerly Twitter), “Without me, Trump would have lost the election, Dems would control the House and the Republicans would be 51-49 in the Senate,” Musk posted on X, adding, “Such ingratitude.”
That struck a nerve.
President Donald Trump responded with a series of pointed remarks. He expressed his disappointment, stating, “Elon and I had a great relationship. I don’t know if we will anymore.” Trump further criticized Musk, suggesting he was suffering from “Trump Derangement Syndrome” and accused him of going “CRAZY” after the removal of electric vehicle mandates from the legislation. Additionally, Trump threatened to terminate government contracts and subsidies associated with Musk’s companies, claiming it would save “Billions and Billions of Dollars” in the federal budget.
Musk didn’t let it go. He mocked Trump’s speech, called him “not the same man,” and suggested the former president had lost his edge. The final dig? Musk posted a meme of a dragon—“Decommissioned”—a not-so-subtle nod to ending his quiet alliance with Trump’s political machine.
Bannon, never one to miss a chance to escalate, took things nuclear. He called Musk a “parasitic illegal immigrant” and urged Trump to cut ties entirely—and investigate his citizenship.
Let’s not forget that Musk is a naturalized citizen. He’s been in the U.S. since the ‘90s, became a citizen in 2002, and was even handed a government post during Trump’s second term as head of the Department of Government Efficiency (yes, DOGE—because nothing’s too absurd for this timeline).
But logic and facts were never the point. This is MAGA eating its own, live and in real time. A billionaire who once shared their stage is now being cast out as a foreign threat.
In New Orleans, we’ve seen political drama. We’ve had our share of scandals and spectacular falls from grace. But even here, this would raise eyebrows over beignets. A few months ago, Musk was treated like royalty in Trump’s orbit. Now his face is on the wanted posters—metaphorically, for now.
And if you think this is just bluster? Remember, this movement’s already banned books, banned kratom, tried to criminalize abortion support, and now wants to deport billionaires when they go off-script.
