Former White House chief strategist Steve Bannon has advised President Donald Trump to deport billionaire Tesla CEO Elon Musk, expressing doubt about the latter's immigration status and criticizing his perceived failure to implement promised budget cuts.

The public rift between Trump and Musk has widened, with Musk publicly opposing Trump and even suggesting impeachment, with Bannon's deportation suggestion taking things up another level, as the Washington Examiner reports.

The controversy began with Bannon publicly calling for dramatic action against Musk. On his podcast, Bannon argued Musk should face immediate deportation, claiming he believed Musk might be unlawfully residing in the U.S.

Bannon talks Musk

Bannon has spoken against Musk’s role in governmental functions, specifically criticizing his involvement with the Department of Government Efficiency. He has argued that Musk pledged substantial reductions in governmental overspending but has failed to deliver.

Elaborating on this point, Bannon discussed Musk's alleged commitment to uncover $1 trillion in governmental mismanagement and fraud, which Bannon claims has yet to materialize.

Bannon also pointed to a $9.4 billion rescissions package that included $1 billion earmarked for NPR. He described this as part of a larger problem with Musk's unfulfilled budgetary promises.

Tensions escalate

The recent tension between Trump and Musk has worsened as the Congressional Budget Office projected potential increases in the federal deficit linked to a Trump-backed bill.

Musk described this legislative measure as severely flawed, intensifying disagreements between the two powerful men.

Trump attributed some of Musk's dissatisfaction to modifications in the electric vehicle mandate and choices regarding NASA leadership, decisions that directly impacted Musk's business interests.

Amid this controversy, Trump has hinted at revoking federal contracts with Musk’s companies, which led to Musk threatening the decommissioning of SpaceX’s Dragon spacecraft.

Political ramifications loom large

These escalating tensions have not only been confined to dollars and business interests. Musk reposted a message endorsing the idea of impeaching Trump, advocating for Vice President JD Vance as a replacement.

Furthermore, Musk's behavior has extended into market responses, with Tesla's stock experiencing a significant drop of approximately 17% on Thursday.

These developments underscore the charged relationship between industrialists like Musk and political figures, highlighting the potential far-reaching implications of political disagreements.

Relationship's future unclear

Bannon's advice for a formal investigation into Musk’s immigration status illustrates the deepening confrontation. Justifying his stance, Bannon argued that Musk had over-promised fiscal corrections in the government sector without delivering results.

"Where's the fraud in Medicaid?" Bannon rhetorically asked, posing further questions about Musk’s alleged contributions to spotting inefficiencies in high-budget areas such as the Pentagon.

This suggestion of deceit in public sectors remains a crucial point of contention in Bannon’s critique of Musk, whom he disapproves for failing to meet fiscal expectations.

The future of Musk's ventures and activities in the U.S. seem precariously balanced given such political hostilities. Musk's actions and statements will likely continue influencing his standing with the current administration.

As these discussions evolve, significant considerations concerning immigration, fiscal accountability, and corporate-government relations will remain in focus. It will be crucial to observe how both Musk and governmental figures navigate this disagreement and the potential implications for corporate and political realms moving forward.