Elon Musk may soon lose his Canadian citizenship, as over 250,000 Canadians have signed a parliamentary petition asking the nation to revoke the DOGE chief’s citizenship and passport.
What did Musk do to deserve this?
Musk, one of the biggest US President Donald Trump allies, has amplified the ire of the people of Canada, after posting an inciting post proclaiming “Canada is not a real country,” among other things.
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The X CEO’s “Canada is not a real country,” post was his reaction to the news of the petition and not the reason campaigners are seeking a revocation of his citizenship. The post has since been removed.
Canada is not a real country: Elon Musk Photograph: (X)
The reason for that is Musk’s close association with Trump, who since his inauguration on January 20, 2025 has announced his plan to levy a 25 percent tariff on all Canadian imports — starting next month (March 2025). The Republican leader has also proposed annexing Canada and making it the 51st state of the US, “against the national interest of Canada,” claim petitioners.
Musk is a part of the Trump administration, albeit not an elected one. He is the chief of DOGE (Department of Government Efficiency), a task force created by Musk to cut federal expenditure. In the one month of the Trump 2.0 administration, the SpaceX CEO has been at the forefront of many controversial decisions, and the petition claims that “He has now become a member of a foreign government that is attempting to erase Canadian sovereignty”.
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It alleges that Musk has “used his wealth and power to influence our elections”.
Musk is a Canadian citizen?
Elon Musk actually holds the citizenship of South African, Canada, and the US. He was born in Pretoria, South Africa, and obtained a Canadian citizenship through his mother Maye Musk, who was born in Canada. Later, he obtained a US citizenship after entering the nation on a student visa.
Can Musk lose his Canadian citizenship?
The country only revokes citizenship in cases of serious crimes such as treason, espionage, or if an individual is found to have committed fraud or misrepresentation on their immigration or citizenship application.
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According to Audrey Macklin, a University of Toronto law professor, “Canada does not revoke citizenship that is lawfully obtained”.
Talking to CNN, Macklin explained, “there is actually no way of revoking Elon Musk’s Canadian citizenship, unless he obtained it by fraud or misrepresentation.”
(With inputs from agencies)
