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Claim: A post went viral on Threads/Instagram in which BBC NEWS allegedly reported President Donald Trump saying Elon Musk must “leave the United States immediately.” But Musk, in the report, responded by warning Trump against using power to oppress others.
Verdict: False. Checks by DUBAWA show that Donald Trump has not asked Elon Musk to leave the U.S., and the BBC did not report any such news.
Full Text
A post shared on Thread/Instagram by the user Truefan_Stephencurry has gone viral. In that post, which is attributed to the BBC, President Trump instructed Tesla founder Elon Musk to “leave the United States immediately.” The post, which included images of Trump and Musk, suggests a diplomatic or political fallout occurred.
The post has surprised many, given the bond between the two men at the incipient stages of Trump’s second coming. Others have raised concerns about the potential impact on businesses with African origins, given that Musk, though a U.S. citizen today, was born in South Africa.
This fact-check is vital because the claim has gone viral and has far-reaching implications for Africans’ perception of freedom and opportunity in the U.S.
Verification
DUBAWA began by checking the source mentioned in the claim, BBC NEWS. Having surfed the BBC’s website, there is no report or headline indicating that Trump ordered Elon Musk to leave the U.S. If the BBC had indeed published such an explosive story, it would have been prominently available in its archives and trending across global media. A thorough search shows no record of the alleged statement.
Next, DUBAWA reviewed official government sources. The alleged incident is tied to a May 30, 2025, Oval Office press conference where Elon Musk formally stepped down from his advisory role. On the White House website, the record shows President Trump praising Musk for his contributions. There is no reference to Musk being told to leave the country.
Independent reporting further supports this. According to Reuters, the event was covered as a farewell conference, where Musk left his advisory role but was not asked to leave America. Similarly, PBS streamed the full press briefing, which shows no evidence of Trump making the alleged statement.
These primary and secondary sources demonstrate that the viral post misattributed words to Trump and falsely credited the BBC with a report it never published.
Conclusion
The claim that Trump asked Elon Musk to leave the United States is false. Neither the BBC nor the White House website contains evidence of such a directive. Also, major outlets such as Reuters and PBS confirm that Musk’s exit was limited to his advisory role, not his residency or nationality.
An Instagram post shows Trump speaking. He was asked about deporting Musk and Trump said he has to check into it. Where there is smoke there is fire.