Trump's Threats to Cut Musk's $38 Billion Empire Are Hollow Theater

The deportation and subsidy threats aren't likely to be implemented but they deflect attention from the crypto goldmine both men are mining together

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Trump's threats to withdraw Elon Musk's $38 billion in federal subsidies and potentially deport him are legally impossible to implement, but beneath the political theatre theres something far more pernicious than withdrawing subsidies. The public feuding deflects attention from the multi-billion dollar cryptocurrency scheme both men are operating while Trump holds the presidency.

The scale of government support for Musk's empire is staggering. SpaceX alone received $3.8 billion in federal contracts during fiscal year 2024, primarily from NASA for crew and cargo missions to the International Space Station. Analysis shows Musk's companies have received at least $38 billion in total government support over 20 years, averaging $2.88 million per day historically but rising to $5.5 million per day from 2020-2025. Tesla earned $2.76 billion from selling regulatory credits in 2024 alone - meaning the company would have posted a loss without this government-enabled revenue stream.

But Trump can't simply cancel these contracts by presidential decree. SpaceX's agreements with NASA and the Defense Department contain specific legal terms governing modifications or cancellations. Breaking these agreements would require following complex termination procedures and potentially paying significant penalties. More critically, SpaceX provides the only U.S. capability to transport astronauts to the International Space Station, making contract cancellation a national security impossibility.

The deportation threats are even more absurd. Musk became a naturalized U.S. citizen in 2002, and revoking citizenship requires proving fraud or willful misrepresentation in the original naturalization application. While October 2024 reporting alleged possible early visa violations, these occurred years before his citizenship application and would face massive legal challenges to prove decades later. Immigration experts dismiss denaturalization as virtually impossible given Musk's resources and the passage of time.

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