U.S. President Donald Trump sparked a new episode of tension with Elon Musk when asked about the possible deportation of the entrepreneur during a trip to Florida, just before boarding Marine One at the White House. 

“I don’t know, we’ll have to see. Maybe we need to put DOGE against Elon. Do you know what DOGE is? DOGE is the monster that might have to go and take Elon out—wouldn’t that be terrible? He gets a lot of subsidies but he’s very upset because the electric vehicle mandate ended,” Trump replied to a reporter asking whether he planned to deport Musk. 

The dispute between Musk and Trump centers on the billionaire’s opposition to the president’s economic policies. Musk previously supported Trump with at least $275 million for his campaign, as well as public endorsements and promotion through his social media platform X.

Musk also created a commission called DOGE, intended to cut federal spending, which Trump now threatens to use against him. 

This episode also reflects Trump’s policy push to revoke the citizenship of naturalized immigrants. While technically possible, it would be a long and complex process, especially given Musk’s resources to mount a high-level legal defense. 

Elon Musk was born in South Africa and is also a Canadian citizen through his mother’s birthplace, and a U.S. citizen through naturalization since 2002.

He arrived in the United States as a student in 1995 but soon left his studies to pursue business. In 2013, his brother Kimbal stated that investors in 1996 had considered the Musk brothers “illegal immigrants,” opening a hypothetical scenario in which Musk’s citizenship could be challenged, though it remains unlikely. 

On July 11, the Civil Division of the Department of Justice published a memo prioritizing “denaturalization,” outlining ten possible causes including national security risk, war crimes, and fraud in obtaining citizenship.

After the fight: the repercussions it would have on the population

Experts note that revoking citizenship from individuals born in the United States is extremely difficult. Immigration lawyer Jaime Barrón explained: “You cannot take citizenship away from someone born in the U.S., unless fraud in their birth registration can be proven. Anyone born here is a citizen from birth.” 

Trump has expressed a desire to go beyond deporting undocumented immigrants or legal immigrants with criminal records, including high-profile naturalized citizens like Musk.

“They’re not new to our country. They’re old for our country. Many of them were born here. I think we should get them out too,” the president said, reiterating his controversial stance. 

These statements have escalated tensions between Trump, Elon Musk, and the business community in the United States, fueling a debate that mixes immigration, citizenship, and economic policy.