Steve Bannon, former White House adviser, urged President Donald Trump to launch a formal investigation into Elon Musk’s immigration status and deport the tech billionaire immediately. Bannon told The New York Times on June 5 that he strongly believes Musk is living in the U.S. illegally. This call came amid a heated public clash between Trump and Musk over the “One Big Beautiful Bill” legislation. During Bannon’s War Room webcast, he called Musk an illegal alien and insisted Musk should be deported before others affected by the Trump administration’s immigration crackdown.
Elon Musk, born in South Africa, later moved to Canada. Then the U.S., where he became a citizen while building his companies like SpaceX, Tesla, and the social platform X. Despite his citizenship, reports from The Washington Post last year suggested Musk worked illegally in the U.S. before becoming a citizen. Bannon and others have questioned the legality of Musk’s citizenship since then.
Adding fuel to the fire, Bannon referenced reports about Musk’s alleged drug use, including ketamine, which Musk denied. Bannon suggested this issue could also support a deportation case. The dispute between Trump and Musk escalated after Musk criticized the Trump-backed bill as a “disgusting abomination,” prompting Trump to defend it. Bannon backed Trump’s recent proposal to cancel Musk’s large government contracts, calling for “dramatic action” and immediate contract termination.
Bannon also condemned Musk’s attacks on Trump, which included posts on X linking Trump to Jeffrey Epstein and taking credit for Trump’s election victory. Bannon said Trump empowered Musk more than anyone else and warned that Musk would turn against him. The tensions reflect a sharp breakdown in their previously supportive relationship.
