Trump lashes out after Musk unveils third-party ambitions and slams president’s policy overhaul
The alliance between Donald Trump and Elon Musk has spectacularly imploded.
Once political allies, the president and tech billionaire are now locked in an escalating feud, triggered by Musk’s decision to launch a third political party—one he’s calling the “America Party.”
Trump took to Truth Social on Sunday night to unleash a blistering attack on Musk, calling him “off the rails” and accusing him of spiralling into political delusion.
“I am saddened to watch Elon Musk go completely ‘off the rails,’ essentially becoming a TRAIN WRECK over the past five weeks,” Trump posted. “He even wants to start a Third Political Party, despite the fact that they have never succeeded in the United States.”
Their once-close relationship began to unravel last month after Musk, who previously poured hundreds of millions into Trump’s presidential campaign, denounced the president’s sweeping domestic policy legislation.
Musk, formerly a special government advisor with enormous influence over staffing and contracting decisions, called the bill a “disgusting abomination,” slamming its projected trillions in new federal debt. He also vowed to back primary challengers against Republicans who supported it—most of whom did.
While Musk hasn’t named a 2028 presidential candidate yet, he confirmed on X that the America Party’s focus for now would be the House and Senate: “Backing a candidate for president is not out of the question, but the focus for the next 12 months is on the House and the Senate,” he wrote.
Trump’s anger seems to go beyond policy. He claimed Musk’s true motive in opposing the bill was personal: a clause scrapping the electric vehicle mandate, which would have benefited Tesla.
“I have campaigned on this for two years,” Trump said. “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… He said he had no problems with that — I was very surprised!”
Musk’s position on EV subsidies has shifted recently. Though once a critic of electric vehicle tax credits, his stance appears to have softened amid sliding Tesla sales this year. The carmaker has faced stiff competition from China’s BYD and a cooling US market, making federal incentives more valuable than ever.
Now, with the president threatening to cut billions in federal contracts and subsidies flowing to Musk’s companies, including Tesla and SpaceX, their dispute has morphed from ideological to personal—and potentially existential for both men.
The America Party’s emergence comes at a delicate moment in US politics. Trump remains dominant within the Republican Party but faces mounting unrest from once-loyal backers frustrated with rising debt and fractured policy moves.
Musk’s third-party ambitions may tap into that discontent, though historically, third-party efforts in the US have failed to gain real traction. Trump wasted no time reminding him of that, taunting Musk’s political naivety with the veiled suggestion that history will repeat itself.
Still, observers warn that Musk’s money, megaphone, and media reach could make the America Party a disruptive force—even if not a decisive one.
For now, the two men appear to be on a collision course, one defined by betrayal, clashing egos, and billion-dollar consequences.
Trump once boasted of having Elon Musk “in his corner.” Now, he sees a rival he views as reckless—and a potential political threat.
