Why is Donald Trump 'looking into' deporting Tesla CEO Elon Musk? Feud explained
Trump has also suggested that the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) review subsidies given to Musk, including those received by Tesla and SpaceX, to save money.
The fresh remarks from the President came after Musk renewed his criticism of his 'One Big Beautiful Bill,' which the Trump administration hopes to bring as law by July 4.
Read More: US Senate narrowly passes Donald Trump's 'big, beautiful' tax bill
When asked if he is looking into deporting Musk, Trump said, 'I don't know. We'll have to take a look.'
Trump has also suggested putting 'DOGE on Elon', a move that is likely to create hurdles for Tesla and Musk's business empire.
"We might have to put DOGE on Elon. You know what DOGE is? DOGE is the monster that might have to go back and eat Elon. He gets a lot of subsidies. But Elon is very upset that the EV mandate is going to be terminated. Not everybody wants an electric car," Trump told reporters at the White House.
Following Trump's threat, Musk responded: "So tempting to escalate this. So, so tempting. But I will refrain for now." Trump-Musk tension escalates
Elon Musk, a close aide of Trump, has been at loggerheads with the US President months after the billionaire endorsed the Republican President for his second term and also funded his election campaign.
However, the rivalry between the two has escalated in recent months over $4 trillion spending and tax bill. Musk, who is vocal of the bill's negative impact on America's national debt, has also threatened to support those challenging the lawmakers who vote for the bill.
Also Read: Indian-origin NASA astronaut Anil Menon to embark on first International Space Station mission
Trump has attributed Musk's opposition to the bill to the elimination of subsidies that many of the billionaire's business ventures benefit from.
The US President took to social media, threatening to withdraw subsidies from Musk's companies, saying, "Elon would probably have to close up shop and head back home to South Africa."
"Elon may get more subsidy than any human being in history, by far, and without subsidies, Elon would probably have to close up shop and head back home to South Africa. No more Rocket launches, Satellites, or Electric Car Production, and our Country would save a FORTUNE. Perhaps we should have DOGE take a good, hard, look at this? BIG MONEY TO BE SAVED!!!," Trump posted on his social media platform Truth Social.
Musk, who has attacked Trump's bill as an "insane spending bill", has also threatened to help create a third political party in the US. Can Trump deport Elon Musk?
Musk, who moved to the United States in 1992, is a US citizen since 2002. Born to a Canadian mother and a South African father, Trump became an American citizen by naturalisation after he moved to the US to study at the University of Pennsylvania, according to Politifact.
Also Read: Trump hints at trade deal with India with 'much less tariffs' amid deadlock
Since Musk is a US citizen, President Trump cannot deport him unless his citizenship is revoked. However, the US government has the power to revoke citizenship through a process called 'denaturalisation'.
The government has the power to take away the citizenship of a naturalized citizen if it is proved that the naturalization was obtained through fraud.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
New Indian Express
22 minutes ago
- New Indian Express
'MAGA IS NOT HAPPY': Trump's tax bill stalled by GOP rebellion in US Congress
WASHINGTON: Donald Trump's signature tax and spending bill was in limbo early Thursday as Republican leaders in the US Congress scrambled to win over a group of rebels threatening to torpedo the centerpiece of the president's domestic agenda. Trump is seeking final approval in the House of Representatives for his Senate-passed "One Big Beautiful Bill" -- but faces opposition on all sides of his fractious party over provisions set to balloon the national debt while launching a historic assault on the social safety net. As midnight (0400 GMT) struck, House Speaker Mike Johnson was still holding open a key procedural vote -- the bill's last hurdle before it can advance to be considered for final approval -- more than two hours after it was first called. With no clear sign of the stalemate breaking, his lieutenants huddled in tense meetings behind the scenes with the rebels who had either voted no or had yet to come to the House floor. "We're going to get there tonight. We're working on it and very, very positive about our progress," Johnson told reporters at the Capitol, according to Politico. Originally approved by the House in May, Trump's sprawling legislation squeezed through the Senate on Tuesday by a solitary vote but had to return to the lower chamber Wednesday for a rubber stamp of the Senate's revisions.
Hans India
25 minutes ago
- Hans India
Indian stock indices rise at open, supported by hopes of a trade agreement with the US and gains across Asian markets
Shares of Punjab National Bank fell over 1 percent on July 3 after its Q1FY26 business update disappointed analysts' hopes. Brokerages including Citi and Morgan Stanley cited muted loan growth and soft deposit momentum in the April–June period. Indian markets are trading marginally higher as President Trump said that the US and Vietnam have reached a trade deal that will bring down the tariff at 20 per cent from 46 per cent. This move raised hopes that the effective tariff rate of India could stabilise at 15-18 per cent. 'The Asian market is waiting for a trigger to take the Nifty to the all-time high of 26,277.35. All eyes are on the US June nonfarm payrolls data that will come on Thursday and the numbers are expected to be weak, which will lead to the hopes of Fed rate cuts revive. If the number is good, the chances of Fed rate cuts may recede,' Prashanth Tapse, senior VP (research), Mehta Equities Ltd, told Financial Express Online. Among the Sensex firms, Asian Paints, Tata Steel, Infosys, Mahindra & Mahindra, Eternal and Tata Motors were the biggest gainers. Market capitalisation stands at Rs 324,838.32 crore. Nifty would trade in the range of 25,200-25,800 for some more time till a trigger comes in which takes the index out of this range. If it is a positive trigger, then it can be from an India-US trade deal that is likely to be announced in a couple of days, V.K. Vijayakumar, chief investment strategist, Geojit Investments Limited, told Financial Express Online. With total capex for the expansion programmes to exceed Rs 750 crore over the next few years, the company has already commenced a few projects.
Time of India
26 minutes ago
- Time of India
Donald Trump's tariff wars: US announces trade deal with Vietnam; is India next? Why China should be worried
US officials are actively negotiating with key trading allies in Asia and Europe before July 9, seeking arrangements that could limit Chinese involvement. (AI image) US President Donald Trump's trade policies, tariff wars, and moves to seal trade deals with major trading partners in Asia and Europe has China increasingly on the guard - and rightly so! These trade deals could potentially separate Chinese companies from global supply networks, despite the recently announced trade truce between the US and China. US officials are actively negotiating with key trading allies in Asia and Europe before July 9, seeking arrangements that could limit Chinese involvement and address what the US considers unfair trade practices by China. The temporary 90-day suspension by Trump on what he termed "reciprocal" tariffs affecting many US trading partners concludes on July 9. These countries risk facing substantially higher tariffs if they fail to establish trade agreements with the US. Many countries are taking steps to maintain positive relations with Washington. Since Trump's tariff announcement in April, Vietnam, Thailand and South Korea have implemented regulations to prevent product rerouting through their territories to the US. Also Read | What is Donald Trump's net worth? Billionaire US President has a big portfolio of cryptocurrencies, stocks & more - top details South Korean authorities have intensified their efforts against transshipments, noting an increase in such activities. Taiwan's President Lai Ching-te addressed this concern and subsequently introduced regulations requiring all US-destined exports to include legal certification of their Taiwanese origin. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like 2025 Top Trending local enterprise accounting software [Click Here] Esseps Learn More Undo How US Trade Deal With Vietnam Will Hit China President Donald Trump announced on Wednesday a new tariff structure with Vietnam, marking the first such arrangement. According to Trump's social media announcement, Vietnamese exports to the US will face a 20% tariff, while goods identified as being transshipped through the country will incur a 40% charge. This arrangement will affect products containing Chinese components that are either minimally processed in Vietnam or simply routed through the country before reaching the US. This structure reflects similar provisions found in existing US trade agreements with Mexico and Canada. The complete details of the agreement remain undisclosed by the White House, with some aspects possibly still under development. The impact on China's increasing exports to Vietnam is yet to be determined. China's Ministry of Commerce has not yet provided a response to enquiries. India, which is reportedly close to finalising a deal, is discussing "rules of origin" requirements. The US is seeking a minimum of 60% local value addition for products to qualify as "Made in India" and receive benefits under the agreement. According to Bloomberg News, India is attempting to negotiate this requirement down to approximately 35%. World's Trading Dilemma & China's Warning The trade war predicament facing Asia centres on its dual reliance: needing US consumer markets while depending on Chinese manufacturing inputs, according to Alicia Garcia Herrero, Asia-Pacific chief economist at Natixis SA. According to the Bloomberg report, in her recent analysis, she highlighted that Vietnam, Cambodia and Taiwan face particularly high exposure to this situation. Also Read | From 'dead' to 'hottest in world': Donald Trump calls 'Big, Beautiful Bill' the path to US making a 'fortune'; says America growing out of 'Biden mess' For most Asian economies, China represents a more significant trading relationship than the United States. Beijing has issued stern warnings about protecting its interests, with Foreign Minister Wang Yi expected to emphasise this position during his upcoming European diplomatic mission to Brussels, Germany and France. "China firmly opposes any party reaching a deal at the expense of Chinese interests in exchange for so-called tariff reductions," said the Ministry of Commerce on Saturday, reiterating previous cautions. "If this happens, China will never accept it and will resolutely counter it to safeguard its legitimate rights and interests." According to Bloomberg Economics, Vietnam's trade agreement could trigger retaliatory measures from China. "Beijing has signalled its intention to address arrangements that undermined Chinese interests, and the acceptance of increased tariffs on products 'transshipped' through Vietnam could be considered such a case," Bloomberg's Rana Sajedi noted in a research analysis. Challenge for China & Its Worry The United States' potential influence on other nations to strengthen or implement export restrictions on advanced technology poses a significant challenge for Beijing, particularly regarding its acquisition of essential semiconductor manufacturing equipment. In June, Taiwan expanded its restricted entities catalogue to include both Huawei Technologies Co. and Semiconductor Manufacturing International Corp., requiring Taiwanese companies to obtain governmental clearance before engaging in business transactions with these firms. The situation extends beyond Asian borders. Europe faces its own complexities in this matter. China's electric vehicle exports predominantly flow to the EU, whilst Chinese investments in the EU and UK reached 10 billion euros ($12 billion) in the previous year, as documented by Rhodium Group. Also Read | US plans 'economic bunker buster' bill: Will Donald Trump impose 500% tariff on countries importing oil from Russia? How it may impact India However, commercial relations are becoming strained. European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen has recently criticised Beijing for its approach to rare earths and magnets, whilst highlighting concerns about Chinese industrial surplus. The European Union's potential agreement with the US has raised significant concerns in Beijing, particularly regarding provisions similar to those in the British-American deal, which encompassed supply chain security, export regulations and ownership guidelines for industries including steel, aluminium and pharmaceuticals. Although China was not explicitly mentioned, Beijing issued an unusual public critique of the agreement, viewing it as a direct challenge, according to the Financial Times. "China is clearly worried that the EU will accept the same wording as the UK did on export controls," said Joerg Wuttke, a partner at the Albright Stonebridge Group in Washington and former president of the EU Chamber of Commerce in China. "They are pushing the EU not to do this, and the US is pushing the EU to do it." The EU and US aim to establish an agreement before July 9, when American authorities plan to implement a 50 per cent tariff on virtually all European products. The EU considers the US relationship more vital, as European exports to America exceed twice the value of those to China, providing the US with substantial negotiating power. The primary challenge facing Beijing lies in the potential consolidation of these initiatives into a broader transformation - beyond US-led restrictions on Chinese exports to a fundamental restructuring of global commerce centred on 'trusted' supply networks, potentially marginalising China. During his Southeast Asian tour earlier this year, President Xi Jinping called for regional unity as an "Asian family," cautioning against commercial fragmentation. Also Read | Not just Apple iPhones! Android smartphone makers like Samsung, Motorola step up exports from India to US; move due to Trump's tariff policies China typically counters opposition through selective trade restrictions. Following EU tariffs on Chinese electric vehicles last year, Beijing initiated anti-dumping investigations into European brandy, dairy and pork products. In 2023, it suspended Japanese seafood imports after perceiving criticism from G7 meetings in Japan. A diplomatic dispute with Australia in 2020 resulted in trade limitations affecting various commodities, including lobsters, wine and barley. "If some agreements explicitly list China as a target and show that some countries are cooperating or collaborating with the US to 'contain China,' then China will definitely respond," said Tu Xinquan, dean of the China Institute for WTO Studies at the University of International Business and Economics in Beijing and a former adviser to the Chinese Commerce Ministry. Stay informed with the latest business news, updates on bank holidays and public holidays . AI Masterclass for Students. Upskill Young Ones Today!– Join Now
