In a startling political clash that has captivated both Washington and Silicon Valley, former U.S. President Donald Trump has made the shocking suggestion that tech billionaire Elon Musk could be deported from the United States. The claim, made during one of Trump’s recent public appearances, follows Musk’s fierce denunciation of Trump’s proposed spending package, the so-called “One Big Beautiful Bill.”
This latest feud marks a dramatic breakdown in a once-mutually beneficial relationship between Trump and Musk. Once viewed as allies, their political and personal ties have unraveled in a very public, and now deeply personal, way.
Just a few years ago, Elon Musk and Donald Trump seemed to be aligned on several key fronts. Musk, a South African-born entrepreneur and head of companies like Tesla and SpaceX, was not only an advisor during Trump’s presidency but also a major financial contributor. Reports estimate that Musk donated nearly $292 million to conservative causes during Trump’s 2024 campaign—a staggering figure that placed him among the most influential backers of the Republican agenda.
Musk was even given a symbolic leadership role in the Trump administration, serving on a White House efficiency advisory council dubbed DOGE (Department of Government Efficiency). The partnership gave the impression of synergy between innovation and conservative governance.
But that collaboration has now collapsed. The turning point came when Musk harshly criticized the “One Big Beautiful Bill,” a Trump-endorsed legislative package that promises sweeping tax cuts and a surge in federal spending. Musk labeled the proposal as “utterly insane” and “political suicide,” arguing that it would destroy jobs, stifle innovation, and threaten the U.S. economy’s future. He slammed Republicans who backed the bill despite campaigning on fiscal restraint, calling them hypocrites and sellouts.
Stung by Musk’s public rebuke, Trump retaliated with a shocking counterattack: he hinted that Musk could be targeted for deportation. “We’ll have to take a look,” Trump said, when asked about Musk’s immigration status. He then suggested that the reactivated DOGE agency might investigate Musk’s eligibility for federal subsidies—and even jokingly threatened to “let DOGE eat Elon.”
Trump accused Musk of being the largest recipient of government support in U.S. history, implying that without federal contracts and tax incentives, Musk might be forced to “close shop and return to South Africa.”
Despite Trump’s dramatic remarks, immigration and legal scholars were quick to dismiss the threat as largely symbolic. Elon Musk, though born in South Africa, became a naturalized U.S. citizen in 2002. Under U.S. law, citizens cannot be deported unless their citizenship is first revoked—a process known as denaturalization, which is extremely rare and legally complex.
However, Trump supporters and conservative commentators have seized on Musk’s early immigration history. Back in the 1990s, Musk reportedly launched his first company, Zip2, while still on a student visa tied to Stanford University—a graduate program he never actually attended. Critics claim that this may have violated the terms of his visa and that if this fact was not disclosed during his citizenship process, it could be grounds for review.
Legal scholars from institutions such as Cornell and the University of Virginia acknowledge that serious misrepresentation during naturalization could technically justify denaturalization proceedings. Still, most agree that such action would be unprecedented for a figure as prominent as Musk, and would likely fail under judicial scrutiny.
Steve Bannon, Trump’s former White House chief strategist, added fuel to the fire. On his podcast “War Room,” Bannon called Musk an “illegal alien” and demanded his immediate deportation. He even suggested that the federal government seize control of SpaceX under national defense statutes. Bannon referred to Musk as a “parasitic immigrant” who, in his view, had misled the public and government agencies about his legal status.
The accusations intensified as allies of Trump began publicly calling for investigations into Musk’s naturalization process and his corporate dealings with the federal government.
Musk didn’t remain silent. Taking to X (formerly Twitter), the tech mogul launched a series of scathing responses. He accused Trump of pushing outdated policies that would set back American innovation. In a particularly biting message, Musk mocked the spending bill, saying it favored “industries of the past” and “handouts for political friends.”
He even suggested that Trump should be impeached for corruption and floated the idea of starting his own political party, sarcastically naming it the “PORKY PIG PARTY”—a jab at what he sees as the bloated nature of Trump’s government.
In one of his more controversial posts, Musk implied that Trump might be implicated in the Jeffrey Epstein case, though he later walked back the claim and apologized for “going too far.”
The war of words had immediate financial consequences. Tesla shares fell more than 14% in a single trading session, wiping out over $150 billion in market value. SpaceX also saw investor anxiety rise amid speculation that it could lose valuable government contracts or face regulatory scrutiny.
Political commentators noted that this feud is not just personal—it could have broad implications for U.S. industry, national policy, and even the structure of the Republican Party.
While the prospect of deporting Elon Musk is highly improbable from a legal standpoint, Trump’s comments underscore just how quickly political alliances can shift. What was once a powerful partnership between a president and a tech icon has devolved into a public grudge match with potentially massive consequences.
Whether this is merely a sensational feud or the start of a larger political realignment remains to be seen—but for now, the battle lines are clearly drawn between two of the most influential figures in modern America.
