WASHINGTON — President Donald Trump has dismissed Elon Musk’s newly announced political movement as “ridiculous,” escalating a dramatic rift between the former allies.
Musk, the billionaire CEO of Tesla and SpaceX, revealed on July 5 the formation of the “America Party,” a fledgling third-party effort aimed at disrupting what he called the nation’s “one-party system.” But Trump, speaking to reporters before boarding Air Force One, had little patience for the idea.
“It’s always been a two-party system,” Trump said. “Third parties have never worked. He can have fun with it, but I think it’s ridiculous.”
Once close collaborators—Musk even led Trump’s short-lived “Department of Government Efficiency”—the relationship between the two high-profile figures soured after Musk publicly criticized Trump’s sweeping tax-and-spend legislation. The President’s “big beautiful” domestic spending bill, a cornerstone of his economic agenda, drew Musk’s ire for what he claims would balloon the national debt.
In a scathing rebuke, Trump labeled Musk a “TRAIN WRECK” who had gone “off the rails,” underscoring the personal nature of their split.
Musk has offered few specifics about the America Party’s structure or platform and has yet to register it with federal election authorities. Still, political analysts suggest that even a loosely organized third-party push from someone of Musk’s stature could complicate Republican efforts in the 2026 midterm elections and beyond.
The feud marks a rare public fracture between two of the most influential figures in conservative American politics — and sets the stage for a potentially disruptive realignment heading into the next political cycle.
