Trump Suggests Unleashing DOGE on Elon Musk—Tells Him to ’Go Back to South Africa’ in Fiery Remark

In a move that blends crypto culture with political theatrics, former President Trump took a jab at Elon Musk, invoking the meme-coin DOGE in a sarcastic broadside. The comment—delivered with Trump's signature combative flair—adds fuel to the ongoing feud between two of the most polarizing figures in tech and finance.

Why DOGE? The cryptocurrency, once a joke, now sits at the heart of Musk's social media antics. Trump's dig plays into Musk's history of pumping the asset with tweets—only to watch retail traders bag-hold the volatility.

Bonus jab: Classic finance bro move—using a volatile meme coin as a rhetorical weapon while actual investors sweat their portfolios.

Elon threatens Republicans supporting Trump’s debt bill

A few hours before Trump’s post, Elon took to X to post a threat to every Republican in Congress who supports Trump’s latest tax and spending bill. He wrote:

“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.”

That message was posted just as the Senate was getting ready to vote on Trump’s proposed legislation. The bill is 940 pages long and includes a $5 trillion increase to the debt ceiling while slashing federal aid programs.

The vote is part of a procedural process known as vote-a-rama, a chaotic session where lawmakers race through dozens of amendments. The session started on Monday morning and kept going for over 18 hours into Tuesday without a final vote.

$3.3 trillion price tag deepens GOP split

The Congressional Budget Office released its estimate on Sunday, placing the cost of the Senate version of Trump’s bill at $3.3 trillion. That’s $800 billion more than the House version passed last month. It would bring the total US national debt up from $36.2 trillion.

Some Republicans say the CBO numbers are inflated and that continuing current policy shouldn’t count as new spending, but that hasn’t calmed the markets. Global bondholders are already pulling back from US Treasuries, sensing instability.

Democratic Minority Leader Chuck Schumer told the Senate the bill would “steal people’s healthcare, jack up their electricity bill to pay for tax breaks for billionaires.” John Thune fired back by defending the tax cuts as help for families and small businesses, and he said Medicaid spending was growing too fast, claiming the bill included reforms to make it more sustainable.

Elon wasn’t done. In a separate post, he said, “America is going bankrupt extremely quickly, but everyone seems to be whistling past the graveyard.” He said the Defense Department’s budget is already over $1 trillion a year, and now interest payments on the national debt are also past $1 trillion, and rising. “We have to reduce the spending,” he wrote. He also said the debt ceiling is the only tool left that can actually force the government to cut fraud and waste, adding, “That’s why the debt ceiling legislation exists!”

The Senate already voted 51-49 to open debate on the bill late Saturday. The proposal covers tax cuts, border security, immigration, and increased military funding. Trump wants the whole thing signed and sealed before the July 4 holiday, according to his staff. And if Elon keeps pushing, it looks like the White House may push back even harder.

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