Trump says DOGE may "go back and eat Elon"

• Trump posted to Truth Social overnight that DOGE may need to take a "good, hard look" at Musk's companies, and he doubled down on the notion when he spoke to reporters Tuesday.
• "We might have to put DOGE on Elon. You know what DOGE is? DOGE is the monster that might have to go back and eat Elon," he said before boarding Marine One.

Zoom out: When asked if he would consider deporting Musk, Trump said he didn't know.

• "We'll have to take a look," he said.

Worth noting: Musk is a naturalized U.S. citizen. While the Justice Department has recently directed attorneys to prioritize denaturalization in cases where naturalized citizens commit crimes, Trump did not suggest that Musk had committed any crime.

The other side: Musk swiftly responded Tuesday morning, writing that while it is "[s]o tempting to escalate this," he would "refrain for now."

Zoom in: Upon his arrival in Florida, Trump doubled down, saying that DOGE is "going to look at Musk."

• "If DOGE looks at Musk, we're going to save a fortune," Trump added.
• On Musk's criticism for the GOP megabill, Trump told reporters, "I don't think he should be playing that game."

Friction point: The relationship between Trump and his former chainsaw-wielding DOGE head publicly unraveled last month, as Musk aired an avalanche of grievances over the president's signature tax and spending bill.

• In the following weeks, he's continued to lash out against the legislation.
• "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!!" Musk wrote on X Monday, floating the idea of a new political party.
• He later doubled down, saying lawmakers who backed the bill "should hang their head in shame," adding, "they will lose their primary next year if it is the last thing I do on this Earth."

Marc Caputo contributed reporting.

Go deeper: Tesla shares sink as Trump-Musk feud becomes a serious risk

Editor's note: This story has been updated with additional information.