Steve Bannon, a former advisor to President Donald Trump, has increased his attacks on Elon Musk, calling the billionaire a “parasitic illegal immigrant” and accusing him of using his influence to push an agenda that doesn’t respect American traditions.
This latest outburst highlights the growing tension between Bannon and Musk, both key figures in Trump’s inner circle. Bannon, who was Trump’s chief strategist during his first term, has been increasingly vocal in his criticism of Musk’s role in the administration.
Bannon has previously labeled Musk as “a racist,” “an agent of Chinese influence,” and a major threat to the MAGA movement. Since Musk threw his support behind Trump in June 2024, he has become a powerful figure in the White House—not just as a major campaign donor, but also as someone frequently seen meeting with Trump and foreign leaders. He even oversees the newly created Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), which aims to cut federal bureaucracy.
Bannon’s latest comments came during an interview with James Billot for UnHerd and were later shared on his War Room podcast. They reflect a broader divide among Trump supporters as the president enters his second term.
“Musk is the one with power at the moment,” Bannon said in the interview. “The Democrats are nowhere to be seen.” He criticized Musk for making radical changes without respecting the country’s values or traditions, saying Musk is playing “God.”
Bannon also slammed Musk for not delivering on his promises to cut government waste. He questioned the effectiveness of DOGE’s budget handling, calling it “performative” and pointing out that it hadn’t yet proposed significant spending cuts, aside from eliminating some government diversity programs.
“DOGE is sitting there with the budget, but where the f*** are the DOGE cuts?” Bannon said. “We are 30 days away from approving a budget for the entire year with $2 trillion already baked in, and not one penny of anything that DOGE found. It’s ludicrous.”
While Musk’s DOGE team has targeted federal agencies like USAID and the Department of Education, Bannon noted that it has avoided tackling the Pentagon, which still hasn’t passed its seventh audit. He believes DOGE’s actions are merely “performative.”
“There’s hesitancy to take on the Pentagon,” Bannon says. “I want $100 billion cut from its $900 billion budget—really a trillion.”
Bannon also directly attacked Musk’s background, calling him an outsider who is manipulating the political system for his own benefit.
“Musk is a parasitic illegal immigrant. He wants to impose his freak experiments and playact as God without any respect for the country’s history, values, or traditions,” Bannon told UnHerd.
This isn’t the first time Bannon has criticized Musk’s origins. In January, he accused Musk, along with other South African-born tech moguls like Peter Thiel and David Sacks, of influencing U.S. politics without any real allegiance to the country.
“Peter Thiel, David Sacks, Elon Musk—they’re all white South Africans…go back to South Africa. Why do we have the most racist people on Earth, white South Africans, making any comments at all on what goes on in the U.S.?” Bannon said.
Musk, for his part, has largely ignored Bannon’s comments, offering a brief response on X (formerly Twitter): “Bannon is a great talker, but not a great doer. What did he get done this week? Nothing.”
Despite his criticisms of Musk, Bannon maintains that Trump is ultimately in charge. When asked why he isn’t calling for Musk’s removal, Bannon pointed to Trump’s continued support for the Tesla CEO.
“President Trump says Musk doesn’t do anything that he’s not on top of. I take him at his word,” Bannon said.
Trump also weighed in on Musk’s role in the White House, saying: “Elon Musk can’t do anything without White House approval. If there’s a problem, he won’t be anywhere near it.”
In response to Bannon’s attacks, Musk commented on X: “Bannon is a great talker, but not a great doer. What did he get done this week? Nothing.”
Right-wing influencers like Laura Loomer, who has clashed with Musk over H-1B visas, have also voiced concerns about Musk’s influence. Loomer, a strong supporter of Trump, called Musk a “liability.”
Bannon, speaking to UnHerd, said it’s clear that Trump is using Musk as a “blunt force” to attack the federal bureaucracy.
Others, including media figures like Charlie Kirk and Laura Loomer, have joined Bannon in criticizing Musk. However, Musk’s role with DOGE is expected to continue, and he is set to challenge the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) as part of Trump’s efforts to reduce federal costs.
