A Democratic Rep. drew criticism on social media Monday when she told DOGE Chief Elon Musk to “Go back to South Africa” and asked “What the hell” he is doing in the United States. 

“It was interesting yesterday I was watching a video of an interview of Elon Musk with someone where he said that the Italians should stay in Italy and the Chinese should stay in China, my question to Elon Musk is what the hell are you doing here in America?” Democratic Congresswoman Nydia Velazquez (N.Y.) said outside the HUD Department on Monday evening.

“Go back to South Africa,” Rep. Velazquez said.

Velazquez was repeating a claim promoted on social media about an Elon Musk interview in 2023 that liberal fact-checker Snopes deemed to be “false.”

Dem. Rep. Lydia Velazquez told Elon Musk to “go back to South Africa” on Monday (Getty Images | AP Photo)

Velazquez, who was born in Puerto Rico, added that the fight against DOGE is the fight “for the soul of our nation.”

Conservatives on social media blasted Velazquez for her comments on Musk’s immigration status.

“Unhinged,” Bobby LaValley, Rapid Response Director for House Speaker Mike Johnson, posted on X.

“Completely unhinged…,” the White House Rapid Response team added in a post on X.

“Elon has broken their brains so much that Democrats are now embracing nativism,” White House Rapid Response’s Greg Price posted on X.

“Nydia Velasquez has finally found an immigrant she doesn’t like,” Claremont Institute Senior Fellow Jeremy Carl posted on X.

“Not the tens of thousands of illegals in her district who live off of our tax dollars – but America’s greatest entrepreneur, a White immigrant. When the left tells you who they are believe them.”

Rep. Nydia Velázquez, D-N.Y., speaks at a news conference in the Capitol Visitor Center ( Tom Williams/Roll Call/Getty Images)

“Imagine if any Republican said this about any liberal,” Right Turn Strategies President Chris Barron posted on X.

Fox News Digital reached out to Velazquez’s office for comment.

Velazquez had gathered outside the HUD building with fellow Democrats in the latest protest of Musk’s DOGE efforts which they argue is making cuts to programs that are vital to the everyday needs of Americans, a criticism the Trump administration has pushed back on.

CEO of Tesla and SpaceX Elon Musk speaks at the Conservative Political Action Conference (CPAC) at the Gaylord National Resort Hotel And Convention Center on February 20, 2025, in Oxon Hill, Maryland.  ((Photo by Andrew Harnik/Getty Images))

The controversial comment follows a similar sentiment expressed by Dem. Rep. Marcy Kaptur last week where she questioned Musk’s loyalty to the United States due to his immigrant status.

“Mr. Musk has just been here 22 years,” Kaptur said outside the Capitol on Wednesday in a comment that received blowback from conservatives. “And he’s a citizen of three countries.

I always ask myself the question, with the damage he’s doing here, when push comes to shove, which country is his loyalty to? South Africa? Canada? Or the United States? And he’s only been a citizen, I’ll say again, 22 years.”