Trump Administration's Threats Against Zohran Mamdani and Elon Musk: An Analysis

Strategic Insights -

US President Donald Trump and his administration have made recent statements hinting at the possibility of revoking the US citizenship of naturalised citizens Zohran Mamdani and Elon Musk. However, Mamdani and Musk, both born abroad, have obtained their US citizenship through the naturalisation process. Trump's administration has been accused of attempting to intimidate and silence their political opponents through this threat, rather than following due process.

Zohran Mamdani, a 33-year-old Ugandan-born New York City mayoral candidate, was naturalised as a US citizen in 2018. He has been accused by Trump administration officials, including Tennessee Representative Andy Ogles, of being an antisemitic and communist, and has been called for denaturalisation proceedings. However, Mamdani has maintained that he is a democratic socialist and has not committed any crimes.

Elon Musk, a South African-born billionaire, was naturalised as a US citizen in 2002. He has been critical of Trump's recent spending bill, which has led to a public rift between the two. Trump has suggested that Musk would have to leave the US and close his businesses if the tax breaks for electric cars were eliminated.

The process of denaturalisation in the US is rare and typically involves cases of fraud or misrepresentation in the original naturalisation application. It is unlikely that either Mamdani or Musk would face denaturalisation proceedings, according to experts.

The history of denaturalisation in the US has been marked by instances of discrimination against immigrants during times of national hysteria. The US government has revoked the citizenship of numerous individuals, including communists and Nazi sympathisers, during the two Red Scare periods of 1917-1920 and 1947-1957.

Key Takeaways:

  • The Trump administration has hinted at the possibility of revoking the US citizenship of naturalised citizens Zohran Mamdani and Elon Musk.
  • Mamdani, a 33-year-old Ugandan-born New York City mayoral candidate, was naturalised as a US citizen in 2018.
  • Musk, a South African-born billionaire, was naturalised as a US citizen in 2002 and has been critical of Trump's recent spending bill.
  • Denaturalisation in the US is rare and typically involves cases of fraud or misrepresentation in the original naturalisation application.
  • Experts believe that both Mamdani and Musk are unlikely to face denaturalisation proceedings.
  • The history of denaturalisation in the US has been marked by instances of discrimination against immigrants during times of national hysteria.
  • Cases of denaturalisation have been few and far between since the 1967 Supreme Court ruling that a US citizen cannot be involuntarily deprived of their citizenship unless they meet specific criteria.

Statistics:

  • 1926-1945: Hundreds of people were denaturalised every year in the US (Source: Patrick Weil, The Sovereign Citizen, 2017)
  • 1917-1920 and 1947-1957: Two Red Scare periods during which the US government frequently tried to denaturalise citizens (Source: The Sovereign Citizen, 2017)
  • 1967: The US Supreme Court ruled that a US citizen cannot be involuntarily deprived of their citizenship unless they meet specific criteria (Source: Beys Afroyim v. United States, 1967)
  • 2013: Elliott Duke, a UK citizen, was denaturalised for concealing his crime of collecting and distributing child sexual abuse material (Source: US Justice Department, June 13, 2025)

Sources:

  • (1) "US President Donald Trump and officials from his administration have hinted that they might consider revoking the US citizenship of Zohran Mamdani, New York City's Democratic mayoral candidate." (Al Jazeera, June 25, 2025)
  • (2) "Trump said former aide Elon Musk would have to 'close up shop and head back home to South Africa' amid a row over his tax breaks and Trump's narrowly passed spending bill." (Al Jazeera, July 1, 2025)
  • (3) "According to a biography of him written in 2023 by journalist Walter Isaacson, Musk became a naturalised US citizen in 2002." (Walter Isaacson, Elon Musk biography, 2023)
  • (4) "On June 11, the Justice Department issued a memo stating that it would 'prioritise denaturalisation' by instituting civil proceedings for people 'if they either ‘illegally procured' naturalization or procured naturalization by ‘concealment of a material fact or by willful misrepresentation'." (US Justice Department, June 11, 2025)
  • (5) "Beys Afroyim v. United States, 1967: The US Supreme Court ruled that a US citizen cannot be involuntarily deprived of their citizenship unless they meet specific criteria."