US President Donald Trump on Sunday ripped billionaire Elon Musk after the latter announced he had launched a new political party.
In a lengthy post on his Truth Social platform, Trump claimed Musk had “gone off the rails”.
“I am saddened to watch Elon Musk go completely ‘off the rails,’ essentially becoming a TRAIN WRECK over the past five weeks. He even wants to start a Third Political Party, despite the fact that they have never succeeded in the United States - The System seems not designed for them,” wrote Trump.
“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, who have lost their confidence and their minds! Republicans, on the other hand, are a smooth running ‘machine,’ that just passed the biggest Bill of its kind in the History of our Country. It is a Great Bill but, unfortunately for Elon, it eliminates the ridiculous Electric Vehicle (EV) Mandate, which would have forced everyone to buy an Electric Car in a short period of time. I have been strongly opposed to that from the very beginning,” he added.
“People are now allowed to buy whatever they want - Gasoline Powered, Hybrids (which are doing very well), or New Technologies as they come about - No more EV Mandate. I have campaigned on this for two years and, quite honestly, when Elon gave me his total and unquestioned Endorsement, I asked him whether or not he knew that I was going to terminate the EV Mandate - It was in every speech I made, and in every conversation I had. He said he had no problems with that - I was very surprised!” continued Trump.
Further elaborating on his recent feud with Musk, Trump wrote, “Additionally, Elon asked that one of his close friends run NASA and, while I thought his friend was very good, I was surprised to learn that he was a blue blooded Democrat, who had never contributed to a Republican before. Elon probably was, also. I also thought it inappropriate that a very close friend of Elon, who was in the Space Business, run NASA, when NASA is such a big part of Elon’s corporate life. My Number One charge is to protect the American Public!”
Shortly before his post, Trump commented on Musk’s newly formed “America Party” during a gaggle with reporters in front of Air Force One.
“I think it’s ridiculous to start a third party,” Trump said, adding, “So he can have fun with it, but I think it’s ridiculous.”
The comments came a day after Musk announced the formation of a new party, the America Party, following a poll he posted on his X social media site.
"By a factor of 2 to 1, you want a new political party and you shall have it! When it comes to bankrupting our country with waste & graft, we live in a one-party system, not a democracy. Today, the America Party is formed to give you back your freedom," he wrote on Saturday.
Trump and Musk were previously allies, with Trump appointing Musk as head of the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) following his election victory last November. However, after Musk left that role, the two started feuding, particularly in wake of Musk's sharp criticism of Trump’s budget bill which Musk described as a “disgusting abomination.”
In response, President Trump reportedly threatened to revoke federal contracts awarded to Musk's companies, including SpaceX and Starlink. He also warned that if Musk supported Democratic candidates in the 2026 midterm elections, “he will pay the price.”
In a stunning real-time counter-response on X, Musk immediately refuted Trump’s claims. He denied any prior detailed knowledge of the agenda bill’s inner workings and reiterated that the removal of the EV tax credit was not the basis of his opposition.
Musk then escalated the feud, claiming that Trump and congressional Republicans would have lost the 2024 election without his support. He further engaged his followers by asking whether he should create a new political party.
In a particularly sensational claim, Musk asserted that the President is “in the Epstein files” and that this is the “real reason” those records have not been publicly released. Musk offered no evidence to support this claim and he subsequently deleted those posts.
Adding to the dramatic exchange, Musk publicly agreed with an X post advocating for President Trump’s impeachment and for Vice President JD Vance to succeed him.
Later, Musk published an apology for posts he wrote against Trump, admitting that the posts included phrases that were too harsh.