US President Donald Trump mocked Elon Musk’s plan to launch a new political party on Sunday. He said Musk’s move to create the America Party was “ridiculous” and would only confuse voters.
Before boarding Air Force One in Morristown, New Jersey, Trump told reporters that he believed “it’s ridiculous to start a third party.” He added that “starting a third party just adds to confusion,” and although Musk “can have fun with it,” he still thinks it’s “ridiculous.” Trump also noted that “third parties have never worked.”
Trump Says Musk Has Gone ‘Off the Rails’
Later, Trump took a harsher tone in a post on Truth Social. He wrote that he was “saddened to watch Elon Musk go completely ‘off the rails,’” and claimed the billionaire had become a “TRAIN WRECK over the past five weeks.” Trump said Musk’s idea to start a third political party made no sense because “they have never succeeded in the United States” and argued that “the system seems not designed for them.”
He warned that “the one thing Third Parties are good for is the creation of Complete and Total DISRUPTION & CHAOS,” and added that “we have enough of that with the Radical Left Democrats, who have lost their confidence and their minds.”
Trump Accuses Musk of Seeking Political Favors
Trump also accused Musk of trying to influence his administration. According to Trump, Musk asked him to nominate Jared Isaacman—a friend of Musk’s—as the head of NASA. However, Trump said the nomination was withdrawn after Musk stepped down from his role as a special government adviser.
Ex-Treasury Secretary Urges Musk to Stay Out of Politics
Meanwhile, Trump’s former Treasury Secretary, Scott Bessent, said Musk should focus on his companies rather than politics. Speaking on CNN’s State of the Union, Bessent explained that “the principles of Doge were very popular—but if you looked at the polling, Elon was not.” He referred to the “Department of Government Efficiency,” or “Doge,” which Musk led briefly during Trump’s second term.
Bessent pointed out that Musk’s aggressive government cuts and mass layoffs were deeply unpopular. He also said that “investors in Musk’s companies, such as Tesla,” which saw falling sales during his time in government, “wanted him to return to running those businesses.” Bessent added that “the boards of his companies weren’t happy about his announcement yesterday” and likely “will urge him to stick to business, not politics.”
Musk Announces the America Party
Despite criticism from Trump and others, Musk went ahead with his plan. Late Saturday and early Sunday, he officially introduced the America Party in several posts on X, the social media platform he owns.
In one of those posts, Musk claimed that Trump had “bankrupted” the country with a massive tax-and-spending package. His sharp remarks signaled the end of his alliance with the US President.