“We’ll Have to Take a Look” — Trump Threatens Elon Musk With Deportation Over EV Tax Feud

Donald Trump’s public feud with billionaire tech mogul Elon Musk erupted further on Tuesday, July 1, 2025, when the U.S. President hinted he might consider deporting the naturalised South African-born citizen. The remark, made during a White House press briefing, came amid Musk’s scathing criticism of a Republican-led bill aiming to scrap federal tax credits for electric vehicle (EV) buyers.

Tesla shares took a sharp hit, falling over 4% in premarket trading following Trump’s threat. The bill, moving through Congress, would slash consumer incentives that have historically boosted EV sales—a move Musk says is “insane” and “self-sabotaging for America’s green future.” Trump, however, dismissed Musk’s concerns as self-serving, accusing the Tesla CEO of protecting his billions in federal subsidies.

Earlier on social media, Trump fired off another warning, threatening to withdraw federal support from Musk’s businesses. This includes more than $22 billion in SpaceX contracts and nearly $3 billion in tax credits and government incentives that have helped fuel Tesla’s growth.

Legal experts quickly pointed out the near-impossibility of deporting a naturalised citizen like Musk. Deportation, they explained, would require rare and complicated denaturalisation proceedings, typically reserved for fraud or national security cases. Still, Trump’s remarks have ignited concerns over presidential overreach and weaponisation of federal power against private citizens.

Musk, who briefly served as the head of the now-defunct Department of Government Efficiency (nicknamed DOGE), clapped back subtly on X, stating, “So tempting to escalate this… But I’ll refrain for now,” before adding, “The country deserves better than vanity vendettas.”

The once-cordial relationship between the two men soured in 2024 after Musk resigned from the Trump administration and began publicly criticising GOP economic policies. Musk has since hinted at forming a third political party, a move that could shake the 2028 political landscape if realised.

With both men commanding vast influence—Trump in politics and Musk in tech and industry—this feud is not just personal. It’s symbolic of deeper fractures in American power structures, where the collision of ego, ambition, and ideology could alter business and governance for years to come.