Elon Musk Makes Dramatic U-Turn with Grovelling Tweet After Trump’s Deportation Threat

In the volatile intersection of tech, politics, and personal ego, few rivalries are as headline-grabbing as that of Elon Musk and Donald Trump. Once aligned on several fronts, the two now appear to be locked in a bitter feud, reaching new levels of tension this week. Following Donald Trump’s veiled threat that Musk could be “looked at for deportation,” the billionaire CEO of Tesla and SpaceX issued a surprisingly deferential tweet—one that has left political observers and business analysts stunned.

The tweet, described by many online as “grovelling,” marked a dramatic shift in tone for a man not usually associated with restraint or apology. What lies behind Musk’s sudden climbdown, and what does it say about his future political and business ambitions?

The War of Words Escalates

The saga began months ago, as Musk—long seen as a libertarian-leaning contrarian—started to distance himself from Donald Trump’s re-election campaign. Once lauded by the former president as a “brilliant guy” and invited to serve on advisory councils during Trump’s first term, Musk increasingly became critical of Trump’s rhetoric and policy positions in recent months.

Tensions came to a head after Musk publicly criticized Trump’s “America First 2.0” economic plan, calling it “economically illiterate” and “designed for short-term applause rather than long-term prosperity.” This led to a blistering response from Trump at a campaign rally in Florida, where he accused Musk of “forgetting where he came from” and added ominously, “Maybe it’s time to take a closer look at who’s allowed to stay in this country.”

The implication that Musk—who was born in South Africa and became a U.S. citizen in 2002—could be deported sparked immediate backlash from legal experts and human rights organizations. While most legal scholars agreed that deportation was not a feasible or lawful threat, the statement carried a symbolic weight. It was a message: no one, not even a billionaire, was untouchable.

The Surprising Tweet

Just 48 hours after Trump’s statement, Musk stunned the public by tweeting the following:

“I may not agree with everything President Trump says, but I respect his leadership and the voice of the people. We may have had our differences, but I remain committed to free speech, innovation, and America’s future. ”

Though he didn’t apologize outright, the tweet struck a remarkably conciliatory tone. Critics labeled it as grovelling; supporters said it was pragmatic. Either way, it stood in stark contrast to Musk’s usual defiance, particularly on X (formerly Twitter), the platform he now owns.

The tweet was followed by a surge of pro-Trump responses, including one from conservative commentator Laura Ingraham, who posted: “Good. He finally gets it.” Meanwhile, MAGA influencers took the tweet as evidence that “Trump still controls the board.”

Business Over Ego?

So, why the sudden shift?

According to close sources within Tesla, the company has been increasingly concerned about regulatory scrutiny under both state and federal agencies. Tesla and SpaceX, both of which rely heavily on federal contracts and subsidies, could be vulnerable if targeted by a hostile administration.

“Look, Elon is playing 4D chess,” said an anonymous executive at Tesla. “He knows that alienating the likely next Republican president could put everything—from Starlink deployments to battery tax credits—in jeopardy.”

Indeed, despite being a champion of “free markets,” Musk’s companies have benefited enormously from government partnerships. From NASA contracts to clean energy incentives, Musk’s empire is deeply intertwined with federal infrastructure and policy.

Political analyst Cassandra Leung believes Musk’s tweet was more than damage control—it was strategic survival.

“He’s calculating. This wasn’t about pride; it was about power. Musk is thinking about 2025 and beyond. Trump could be president again. That tweet was a hedge against that possibility.”

Musk’s Ideological Dilemma

The episode also raises questions about Musk’s political philosophy. A self-styled “independent thinker,” Musk has in the past supported a mix of Republican and Democratic causes. In 2022, he advocated for “centrist candidates” and floated the idea of forming a new political party. In 2024, he hosted several controversial figures on X, fueling criticism from both left and right.

Yet his aversion to political orthodoxy has made him both a powerful disruptor and a political orphan. He is too conservative for liberal elites, too unpredictable for traditional Republicans, and too self-interested for the populist right.

Some speculate that Musk’s shift toward conciliation may be temporary. Others see it as a sign that he is finally picking a side—or at least pretending to.

“He wants to maintain access. That’s the name of the game,” says tech journalist Nadim Khouri. “He’s not loyal to ideology. He’s loyal to influence.”

Fallout and Future Moves

In the wake of the tweet, both SpaceX and Tesla stocks stabilized after a brief dip. Political insiders say Trump’s team was “pleased” but remain skeptical of Musk’s loyalties.

Meanwhile, Musk has gone silent on any further political attacks and has returned to tweeting about rockets, Mars, and artificial intelligence. Whether this quiet period marks a permanent shift or a tactical pause remains to be seen.

One thing is clear: in the age of billionaire influencers and populist politics, even someone as powerful as Elon Musk must occasionally bow to the winds of political pressure.

Whether he calls it strategy or submission, Musk’s grovelling tweet may go down as a defining moment—not just in his feud with Trump, but in the future of tech’s uneasy dance with American power.