Former White House chief strategist and conservative media figure Steve Bannon has urged former President Donald Trump to launch an investigation into Elon Musk’s immigration status and immediately revoke his U.S. citizenship — a dramatic escalation of the recent political rift between Trump and the billionaire tech mogul.
Speaking on his podcast Bannon’s War Room on Thursday, Bannon accused Musk of being “an illegal alien” and called for him to be deported.
The comments followed a public war of words between Trump and Musk earlier in the day, triggered by Musk’s scathing criticism of Trump’s controversial One Big Beautiful Bill currently under debate in Congress.
“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 told The New York Times.
Bannon, a staunch MAGA advocate, also called on Trump to seize Musk’s private aerospace company, SpaceX, and terminate the billionaire’s federal contracts.
“Pull all the contracts immediately,” Bannon said, accusing Musk of disloyalty and incompetence.
He further claimed Musk’s presence was symbolic of broader immigration issues, saying, “Let’s start with the South Africans, OK?”
Musk, who holds American citizenship, was born in South Africa and later moved to Canada before settling in the U.S.
He has publicly acknowledged the complexity of his immigration journey, but there has been no confirmed evidence that he violated any U.S. immigration laws. Still, some outlets, including The Washington Post, have previously reported that Musk may have briefly worked without proper authorization in the U.S. before obtaining citizenship — a point Bannon and his supporters have seized upon.
Adding fuel to the fire, Bannon referenced recent speculation surrounding Musk’s alleged use of drugs, calling for further investigation.
The New York Times recently published claims of Musk’s supposed ketamine use on the campaign trail, which Musk has since denied.
The dispute between Trump and Musk has grown increasingly heated in recent weeks. Musk, once considered a key Trump ally and one of the largest donors to his 2024 campaign (reportedly contributing $250 million), publicly condemned the Trump-endorsed bill as a “disgusting abomination” in a post on his social media platform X.
Trump, in turn, defended the legislation, prompting an outpouring of criticism from Musk, including posts that attempted to link Trump to disgraced financier Jeffrey Epstein.
In a sharp rebuke, Bannon accused Musk of betrayal.
“President Trump empowered him more than anyone has ever been empowered in this government… This is a bad guy. He’s going to turn on you,” Bannon said.