Trump publicly said he would “have to take a look” at possibly deporting Elon Musk amid rising tensions over his “One Big Beautiful Bill,” stating that “we might have to put DOGE on Elon”—a reference to the Department of Government Efficiency, which he once led and which he mockingly referred to as a “monster that might have to go back and eat Elon.”
He maintained that reducing the federal subsidies that Musk’s businesses, SpaceX and Tesla, received might “save a fortune.” Additionally, he hinted that “Elon would probably have to wind up shop and move back home to South Africa” in the absence of subsidies.
Although he suggested deportation, Trump noted Musk is a naturalized citizen of the United States and stated that he would need to look into it (“if we had a legal authority to do it.”), therefore a decision has not yet been made.
Musk posted on X after taking note of Trump’s remarks but exercised restraint.
“So tempting to escalate this. So, so tempting. But I will refrain for now.”
Along with promising to finance primary opponents to senators who support Trump’s bill, he has also threatened grassroots political opposition and even suggested the formation of a new “America Party.”
In 2002, Musk obtained U.S. citizenship. However, unless there is proof of fraud in the citizenship process, there is no legitimate legal basis for deporting a naturalized citizen. Trump has not claimed any such fraud, and he would need to go through a denaturalization process first.
Trump does not seem to have a clear legal strategy behind his remarks; they seem more rhetorical.
Musk’s criticism of the “Big Beautiful Bill” for its enormous deficit, drastic budget cuts, and rollbacks sparked the feud—moves contrary to Musk’s business and ideological interests.
In turn, Trump felt personally betrayed—Musk was once a top Trump ally and helped lead the DOGE initiative.
Elon Musk Launches A New AI Company
Trump is leveraging aggressive rhetoric—deportation threats, subsidy reviews—to punish Musk politically and potentially weaken his businesses.
Musk is responding by hinting at escalation but holding back—for now—while exploring political alternatives.
Legally, actual deportation is extremely unlikely due to Musk’s citizenship, unless an unprecedented denaturalization process occurs.
