WORLD
)
Trump tells Musk to 'go back to South Africa' amid feud over EV subsidy bill. Donald Trump escalated his feud with Elon Musk, warning the Tesla CEO to "head back to South Africa" if he doesn’t get U.S. EV subsidies. Trump claimed Musk got "more subsidies than anyone in history" and Tesla would shut down without them. The clash centers on the “Big Beautiful Bill,” which includes a $250 annual federal fee on EV owners. The fee is meant to support the Highway Trust Fund, but critics say it’s triple the average federal gas tax paid by regular car owners. Musk has called the bill dangerous and warned it would deepen national debt. He threatened to back primary challengers against most Republicans who support the bill. Musk accused both parties of betraying promises to cut spending and hinted at forming a new political party. Trump posted on Truth Social that the EV mandate was never part of his agenda and Musk knew this.