US President Donald Trump has lambasted Elon Musk’s announcement of a new political party, branding the move “ridiculous” and accusing the billionaire entrepreneur of veering dangerously off course.
The sharp rebuke, delivered Sunday before Trump boarded Air Force One from his New Jersey golf club, underscored the deepening feud between the two once-close allies.
Trump, a firm believer in the traditional two-party system, warned that any attempt to disrupt the status quo by launching a third party would only sow confusion and dysfunction in the already polarized American political landscape.
“I think it’s ridiculous to start a third party,” Trump told reporters. “It’s always been a two-party system, and I think starting a third party just adds to the confusion. Third parties have never worked. So he can have fun with it, but I think it’s ridiculous.”
Musk, the South African-born CEO of SpaceX and Tesla, made headlines Saturday after announcing plans to establish a new political movement dubbed the “America Party.” He said the new party was intended to challenge what he described as the United States’ “one-party system,” and to fight back against excessive government spending.
This dramatic political pivot follows Musk’s abrupt departure from the Trump administration’s “Department of Government Efficiency” (DOGE), where he spearheaded aggressive cost-cutting measures. The alliance between the two men, once hailed as a union of innovation and reform, soured following Trump’s massive domestic tax and spending legislation—a bill Musk opposed due to its ballooning of the national debt and cuts to electric vehicle subsidies.
Musk, in a post on X (formerly Twitter), compared Republicans and Democrats on fiscal issues, stating: “When it comes to bankrupting our country with waste & graft, we live in a one-party system, not a democracy.”
His announcement sent ripples through the political arena, with many speculating about its potential impact on the upcoming 2026 midterms and even the 2028 presidential race. However, details remain sparse, and Musk has yet to formally register the America Party with electoral authorities.
Still aboard Air Force One, Trump launched a second salvo on his Truth Social platform, accusing Musk of being a “TRAIN WRECK” and lamenting what he sees as a dramatic decline in his former ally’s judgment.
“I am saddened to watch Elon Musk go completely ‘off the rails,’ essentially becoming a TRAIN WRECK over the past five weeks,” Trump posted. “The one thing Third Parties are good for is the creation of Complete and Total DISRUPTION & CHAOS, and we have enough of that with the Radical Left Democrats.”
In a scathing post, Trump implied that Musk’s shift in loyalty stemmed from his financial interests, particularly the rollback of EV subsidies in Trump’s spending plan. Musk, however, insists his opposition is principled, rooted in concerns over fiscal sustainability and responsible governance.
Adding to the chorus of criticism, Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent told CNN on Sunday that Musk would be better off focusing on his companies rather than venturing further into politics.
“I believe that the boards of directors at his various companies wanted him to come back and run those companies, which he is better at than anyone,” Bessent said. “So I imagine that those boards did not like this announcement yesterday and will be encouraging him to focus on his business activities, not his political activities.”
Musk’s exit from DOGE in May was marked by an odd ceremony in the Oval Office, where Trump presented him with a golden key to the White House. Musk, visibly bruised with a black eye, was given a hero’s farewell—one that quickly turned into open hostility when he began publicly criticizing Trump’s fiscal policies.
Now, with Musk’s political ambitions drawing both intrigue and ire, observers are left to wonder how the once-innovative partnership turned into one of the most dramatic fallouts in recent US political history. When asked if Musk would be asked to return the symbolic key, Trump declined to comment.
What you should know
Elon Musk has launched a new political movement called the “America Party,” challenging the current two-party system in the US and criticizing rising government spending. In response, President Donald Trump called the move “ridiculous” and accused Musk of being a “train wreck.”
Their fallout stems from Trump’s controversial spending bill, which Musk opposed. The billionaire’s new venture could shake up the political landscape ahead of the 2026 midterms.
