President Donald Trump has sharply criticized Elon Musk’s move to form a new political party, calling it “ridiculous” and saying it would only add unnecessary confusion to the political system.
Trump’s comments came just a day after Musk escalated his public feud with the president, announcing the creation of the “America Party” in response to Trump’s recent tax and spending bill.
As he boarded Air Force One in Morristown, New Jersey, Trump was asked about Musk’s new venture. He expressed his disdain for third parties, saying,
“I think it’s ridiculous to start a third party. We have a tremendous success with the Republican Party. The Democrats have lost their way, but it’s always been a two-party system. Starting a third party just adds to confusion,” Trump told reporters.
He added, “Third parties have never worked, so he can have fun with it, but I think it’s ridiculous.”
Trump took to his Truth Social platform soon after, voicing his disappointment with Musk’s recent behavior, calling it a “train wreck” over the past few weeks. “I am saddened to watch Elon Musk go completely ‘off the rails,’ essentially becoming a TRAIN WRECK over the past five weeks,” Trump wrote.
Musk’s decision to create the “America Party” comes as a direct response to Trump’s tax-cut and spending bill, which Musk claims would bankrupt the nation.
“What the heck was the point of @DOGE if he’s just going to increase the debt by $5 trillion?” Musk wrote on X, criticizing the measure that many, including Musk, believe will add significantly to the national deficit.
Musk intends to challenge Republican lawmakers who supported the bill during next year’s midterm elections.
Once a close ally of Trump, Musk had poured millions into the president’s 2024 re-election campaign and frequently appeared with him at the White House.
However, their relationship soured over the spending bill. Trump claims Musk is upset by the measure’s withdrawal of green-energy credits for Tesla’s electric vehicles, while Musk believes the law will damage the electric car industry. In retaliation, Trump has hinted at pulling billions of dollars in government contracts from Musk’s companies, including SpaceX and Tesla.
In addition to blasting Musk’s political move, Trump also addressed his controversial decision to nominate Musk ally Jared Isaacman as NASA administrator.
Isaacman, a billionaire private astronaut, had been tapped for the role in December 2025 but his nomination was withdrawn without explanation just days before the Senate was set to vote on it.
Trump, on Truth Social, criticized the nomination as “inappropriate,” saying that it was not right for Isaacman, who has strong ties to Musk’s space businesses, to run NASA.
“My Number One charge is to protect the American Public!” Trump wrote. “It was inappropriate for a very close friend of Elon, who was in the Space Business, to run NASA, when NASA is such a big part of Elon’s corporate life.”
Musk’s announcement to create a new political party hasn’t just raised political eyebrows. It’s also drawn criticism from within the business world.
Azoria Partners, a company that had been planning to list the Azoria Tesla Convexity exchange-traded fund, said it would postpone the launch due to Musk’s new political ambitions.
James Fishback, CEO of Azoria, publicly stated that Musk’s new venture created a “conflict” with his primary duties as CEO of Tesla.
“I encourage the Board to meet immediately and ask Elon to clarify his political ambitions and evaluate whether they are compatible with his full-time obligations to Tesla as CEO,” Fishback wrote on X.
This combination of political and business criticisms highlights the growing tension between Musk’s ambitions and the responsibilities that come with his powerful positions in the tech and space industries.
For now, Trump remains firm in his disapproval, further widening the rift between the two men who once shared a close alliance.
