What Does President Trump Think About the Deportation of Billionaire Elon Musk, the Arrest of NYC Mayoral Candidate Mamdani, and the Revocation of Rosie O’Donnell’s Citizenship?
[Washington, July 23, 2025] — A striking common thread has emerged between the world’s richest man, a New York City mayoral candidate, and a former co-host of the popular talk show The View — all have come under the rhetorical fire of former President Donald Trump. Recent remarks by Trump suggest that the U.S. citizenship status of these prominent individuals may now be under threat.
Trump has said he is “considering” the possibility of deporting Elon Musk. He has called for the arrest of Democratic politician Zohran Mamdani and stated on Truth Social that he is “seriously thinking” about revoking Rosie O’Donnell’s citizenship.
These remarks come at a time when the Trump administration has declared “denaturalization” — the legal process of revoking naturalized citizenship — a policy priority. The U.S. Department of Justice has reportedly directed federal attorneys to actively identify such cases. Trump told reporters he would explore the option of deporting Musk, threatened Mamdani with arrest, and posted on social media that he’s “seriously considering” stripping O’Donnell of her citizenship. This coincides with a broader plan from his administration to emphasize denaturalization — a legal path to rescind citizenship.
Earlier this month, when asked whether Musk would be deported, Trump replied, “I don’t know, we’ll see.” On Mamdani, he said, “He needs to be arrested. We don’t want communists in this country. But if there is one, I will keep an eye out for the nation’s interest.”
Trump added, “Many people are saying he is here illegally. We’ll look into everything.” While there is no evidence that Mamdani is in the U.S. unlawfully, a conservative lawmaker has called for an investigation into his citizenship status.
Both Musk and Mamdani are naturalized U.S. citizens. Musk was born in Pretoria, South Africa, and became a citizen in 2002. Mamdani was born in Kampala, Uganda, and received U.S. citizenship in 2018.
Regarding O’Donnell, Trump wrote on Truth Social that she is “not good for our country” and that he is “seriously considering” revoking her citizenship. Trump has had a long-standing feud with O’Donnell on social media.
O’Donnell, who moved to Ireland earlier this year with her 12-year-old child, recently criticized the Trump administration’s response to flooding in Texas. She has stated she is in the process of obtaining Irish citizenship, citing her Irish grandparents as the basis.
Can President Trump Actually Revoke Their Citizenship?
Musk, Mamdani, and O’Donnell are all high-profile individuals with clearly defined political disagreements with Trump. However, Trump’s remarks are not coming out of thin air.
Between 1990 and 2017, there were on average only 11 denaturalization cases per year. During Trump’s first term, the Department of Justice established a special office to pursue denaturalization, which was later shut down under the Biden administration. However, Trump’s second administration has announced plans to revive and accelerate that effort.
