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Donald Trump has suggested the US government should examine any subsidies handed out to Elon Musk’s business empire, claiming that “big money” could be saved.

In a post on his Truth Social platform early on Tuesday, Trump said: “Elon may get more subsidy than any human being in history, by far, and, without subsidies, Elon would probably have to close up shop and head back to South Africa.”

Responding to Trump’s suggestion, Musk said in a post on his own social media platform X: “I am literally saying CUT IT ALL. Now.”

The exchange comes as the rift between the two men over the US president’s signature tax and spending bill deepens.

As the Senate pressed ahead with a marathon voting session on the bill on Tuesday, Musk renewed his attacks on legislation that he said would lead to “the biggest debt increase in history”.

The bitter public feud between the two marks a dramatic reversal from the start of Trump’s second term, when the president installed Musk as the head of the so-called Department of Government Efficiency (Doge) and tasked him to find savings in government.

In his message on Tuesday, Trump added: “Perhaps we should have DOGE take a good, hard, look at this? BIG MONEY TO BE SAVED!!!”

Musk, chief executive of companies including Tesla and SpaceX, has criticised parts of the White House agenda since leaving in May, including the tax bill, which he has previously called a “disgusting abomination”.