Steve Bannon urges Trump to deport 'illegal alien' Elon Musk, asks POTUS to ‘seize’ SpaceX amid fallout

Steve Bannon urged Donald Trump to immediately invoke the Defense Production Act to take control of Elon Musk's SpaceX
PUBLISHED JUN 6, 2025
Steve Bannon recently shared his thoughts on how Donald Trump should handle his feud with Elon Musk (Bannon’s WarRoom/X, Getty Images)
Steve Bannon recently shared his thoughts on how Donald Trump should handle his feud with Elon Musk (Bannon’s WarRoom/X, Getty Images)

WASHINGTON, DC: Former White House official Steve Bannon urged President Donald Trump on Thursday, June 5, to deport tech billionaire Elon Musk "immediately" and "seize” his company SpaceX.

Bannon made the comments amid the war of words between the Tesla CEO and the POTUS. Trump hit back at Musk's escalating attacks by suggesting the multibillion-dollar government contracts of Musk be taken away. 



 

Steve Bannon asks Donald Trump to take control of SpaceX

Steve Bannon urged Donald Trump to immediately invoke the Defense Production Act to take control of SpaceX in response to Elon Musk's declaration that he would decommission the spacecraft used to shuttle astronauts back and forth from the International Space Station (ISS), according to the New York Post.

Bannon said on his 'War Room' podcast, "The action that President Trump should be taking immediately, I think, is when [Musk] threatens to take one of the big programs out of Space X, President Trump tonight should sign an executive order calling for the Defense Production Act to be called in on SpaceX and seize SpaceX tonight, before midnight."

WASHINGTON, DC - MAY 30: U.S. President Donald Trump, joined by Tesla CEO Elon Musk, shows a news video from a laptop in the Oval Office of the White House on May 30, 2025 in Washington, DC. Musk, who served as an adviser to Trump and led the Department of Government Efficiency, announced he would leave his role in the Trump administration early this week to refocus on his businesses. (Photo by Kevin Dietsch/Getty Images)
President Donald Trump, joined by Tesla CEO Elon Musk, shows a news video from a laptop in the Oval Office of the White House on May 30, 2025, in Washington, DC (Kevin Dietsch/Getty Images)

Notably, the Defense Production Act, a Korean War-era provision, grants the POTUS the authority to require private companies to accept and prioritize government contracts for the production of goods needed for national defense, per the outlet.

It was invoked by Trump during his first term to compel businesses to make ventilators and test swabs during the Covid-19 pandemic.

However, the Defense Production Act does not give presidents the power to seize private companies.

Steve Bannon demands a federal investigation into Elon Musk's immigration status

Steve Bannon also demanded a federal investigation into Elon Musk's immigration status. 

He told the New York Times, "They should initiate a formal investigation of his immigration status, because I am of the strong belief that he is an illegal alien, and he should be deported from the country immediately."

White House Senior Advisor to the President and Tesla and SpaceX CEO Elon Musk departs the U.S. Capitol Building on March 5, 2025 in Washington, DC. Musk was meeting with Republican senators at a closed door lunch. (Photo by Andrew Harnik/Getty Images)
Elon Musk departs the Capitol Building on March 5, 2025, in Washington, DC (Andrew Harnik/Getty Images)

Trump’s former chief strategist added that the president's administration should also probe the SpaceX CEO's alleged drug use and his claims that Musk attempted to get a classified Pentagon briefing on China, per the outlet.

Bannon also advised that Musk’s security clearance should be suspended while the investigation is conducted. He added that the contracts his various companies have with the federal government should also be canceled.

White House Senior Advisor, Tesla and SpaceX CEO Elon Musk (L) listens during a cabinet meeting held by U.S. President Donald Trump at the White House on March 24, 2025 in Washington, DC. This is Trump's third cabinet meeting of his second term, and it focused on spending cuts proposed by the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) (Photo by Win McNamee/Getty Images)
Elon Musk listens during a cabinet meeting held by President Donald Trump at the White House on March 24, 2025, in Washington, DC (Win McNamee/Getty Images)

The former head of the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) had a public falling out with the president over the latter's support of the "big, beautiful bill."

The split happened in real-time on social media and escalated after the POTUS told reporters in the Oval Office on Thursday that he is "very disappointed" with Musk. 

The president said, "He knew every aspect of this bill. He knew it better than almost anybody, and he never had a problem until right after he left… He said the most beautiful things about me, and he hasn’t said bad about me personally, but I’m sure that’ll be next, but I’m very disappointed in Elon. I’ve helped Elon a lot," but the tech billionaire claimed that the bill was never shown to him and went on to say that Trump would have lost the election without him. 

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