Elon Musk may be facing one of the most significant political battles of his life following a recent public spat with Donald Trump, who is reportedly threatening to deport the Tesla and SpaceX founder from the United States. Elon Musk has dramatically backtracked on his incendiary comments regarding President Donald Trump last week.
The Trump-Musk power dynamic was a key part of the story after the former won last year’s presidential election, and the seeming closeness of their connection was further proven when Trump appointed Musk as the de facto director of the Department of Government Efficiency.
The developing bromance between two of the world’s most powerful men became the subject of widespread panic. However, all has changed by July 2025. The drama erupted in early June, when Musk and Trump spat on social media, hurling heated accusations and destroying what had previously been a positive friendship.
Since then, Musk has responded aggressively, promising to fund campaigns against Republican MPs and even creating his own political party to fight the established order—efforts that, if successful, might shake up American politics.
Trump isn’t playing defense. However, Trump is not simply playing defense. The president has also threatened to withdraw government backing for Musk, citing the electric vehicle subsidies Tesla receives and even proposing removing links with institutions such as NASA, which rely largely on Musk’s firms. Now, the stakes appear to be bigger than ever. Trump has hinted at the possibility of deporting Musk, which is surprising considering Musk’s naturalized US citizenship.
When Fox News questioned if Trump was truly considering deporting Musk, he said teasingly but seriously, “We’ll have to take a look.”
He added with a tinge of humor, “We might need to put DOGE on Elon. Do you know what DOGE is? The monster may have to return and devour Elon. Wouldn’t it be terrible? He receives a lot of assistance.
REPORTER: “Are you going to deport Elon Musk?”
TRUMP: “We’ll have to take a look. We might have to put DOGE on Elon. You know what DOGE is? The monster that might have to go back and eat Elon. Wouldn’t that be terrible? He gets a lot of subsidies.”
— DogeDesigner (@cb_doge) July 1, 2025
The “DOGE” reference appears to suggest a reduction in the government subsidies Musk’s businesses now get, echoing Trump’s prior threats to cancel all federal contracts with Tesla and SpaceX. A former White House official even hinted at the possibility of deporting Musk’s firms, a move that would cause significant disruption in the tech and automobile sectors.
Elon Musk reacts. True to usual, Musk did not remain mute. On X, he responded with a mysterious yet defiant message: “It’s so tempting to intensify this. It’s incredibly alluring. But I’ll hold off for now.”
On July 2nd, however, Elon reversed his opinion of Trump, thanking him in an odd tweet considering the two men’s strained relationship. “Give credit where it’s due.” Elon tweeted, “@realDonaldTrump has successfully resolved several serious conflicts around the world.”
Credit where credit is due. @realDonaldTrump has successfully resolved several serious conflicts around the world. pic.twitter.com/0EyHHy5Gfo
— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) July 2, 2025
What Musk will do next is uncertain, but many believe he is considering measures to legally solidify his status or resist any attempts to undercut his commercial links to the government.
Deporting Elon Musk is a complicated legal matter. Musk became a naturalized US citizen in 2002, after originally entering the nation on a student visa. According to immigration experts, this status shields him from frequent deportation attempts.
However, the door is not fully closed. The government might try to contest Musk’s citizenship by claiming fraud or dishonesty on his application—a hazardous and difficult judicial path that would be unprecedented, especially given Musk’s high profile. If such a lawsuit were to prevail, he may face deportation to his homeland, South Africa, or even Canada or Russia.
However, there is no proof that Musk committed any crime during his citizenship application, and deporting someone of Musk’s prominence would be an enormous undertaking.
Nonetheless, the Trump administration is willing to go to extremes to silence one of its most vocal opponents.
This political odyssey is far from done, and the repercussions for Musk, his companies, and even US politics might be catastrophic if it intensifies further. For now, Musk has opted to remain silent, but with the stakes so high, the next move might come at any moment. What are your thoughts on the deterioration in ties between Donald Trump and Elon Musk? Please let us know in the comments.