Trump Threatens to Deport Elon Musk — Could the Same Be Done to Him?

July 3, 2025 | Commentary by MMNN International Desk

WASHINGTON, D.C. — In an extraordinary escalation of political infighting, U.S. President Donald J. Trump publicly threatened to deport billionaire tech magnate Elon Musk and cut off federal contracts to his businesses. This clash has taken the world by surprise, especially considering Musk was once one of Trump’s biggest allies and top donors.

Trump’s fury stems from Musk’s open criticism of his landmark legislation — the so-called “One Big Beautiful Bill” — which aims to streamline U.S. government operations but has been attacked for increasing federal deficits and neglecting the electric vehicle (EV) sector.

Trump, while inaugurating a new detention facility in Florida ominously nicknamed “Alligator Alcatraz”, responded to Musk’s defiance with classic vengeance:

“We’ll have to take a look,” Trump said when asked whether Musk could be deported, despite the billionaire having been a U.S. citizen since 2002.

He also threatened to revoke government subsidies and military contracts currently awarded to Musk’s companies, SpaceX and Starlink.

“We might have to put DOGE on Elon,” Trump said cryptically, referencing the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), which Musk briefly led before resigning in protest.
“DOGE is the monster that might have to go back and eat Elon.”

MMNN Commentary: Can Trump Talk Deportation So Easily?

If Trump, a man who often rails against so-called “globalists,” feels emboldened enough to suggest deporting a naturalized citizen like Elon Musk, it raises serious questions:

Can others then propose to “deport” Trump’s own wives, ex-wives, or in-laws?

• Trump’s first wife, Ivana Trump, was born in Czechoslovakia.
• His current wife, Melania Trump, is Slovenian-born.
• His son-in-law Jared Kushner’s family were immigrants from Belarus.
• Many of his family’s business operations have relied on foreign-born labor.

Legally, of course, such retaliatory deportation is not possible — and MMNN firmly stands against such weaponization of immigration laws. But Trump’s own suggestion underscores the dangerous precedent: that citizenship, loyalty, or free speech can be attacked or revoked based on political disagreement.

Markets React, Musk Responds

In response to Trump’s threats, Musk posted on his social platform X (formerly Twitter):

“So tempting to escalate this. So, so tempting. But I will refrain for now.”

But the economic impact was immediate. Tesla’s stock dropped 5% within hours.

Trump then doubled down, mocking Musk’s reliance on government subsidies:

“Without subsidies, Elon would probably have to close up shop and head back home to South Africa,” he wrote on Truth Social.

The Split After the Bromance

(Note: A close, friendly, but not sexual relationship between two men)

It’s a dramatic reversal for the two men. After Trump returned to power in January 2025, Musk was seen frequently at his side, donning MAGA hats and serving as DOGE secretary. But the bromance shattered when Musk opposed the spending bill for increasing deficits and slashing EV support.

Musk has since launched blistering criticisms and even threatened to create a new political party — the “America Party” — pledging to fund challengers against Republican lawmakers who voted for Trump’s bill despite campaign promises of budget restraint.

“All I’m asking is that we don’t bankrupt America,” Musk said on Tuesday, accusing Trump’s party of promoting “debt slavery.”

MMNN Final Thoughts

While this political drama unfolds in America, it offers a sobering lesson to democracies worldwide:

• When citizenship becomes a political tool, democracy is weakened.
• When truth-telling becomes punishable, power becomes corrupt.
• And when even allies are threatened with exile for dissent, it reveals deep authoritarian instincts beneath a democratic facade.

For MMNN readers who have experienced the trauma of forced displacement, denied citizenship, or state-led propaganda, this episode might feel all too familiar.

We may not be able to deport Donald Trump — nor should we wish to — but we can and must remind him and others in power that citizenship is not conditional on obedience, and freedom of expression is not a crime.