American Party: Musk completely 'off the rails' - Trump
US President, Donald Trump lashed out at Elon Musk over his plan to form a new political party, calling the move “ridiculous,” and saying Musk had gone “completely off the rails.”
Trump said in a post on Truth Social late Sunday stateside, “I am saddened to watch Elon Musk go completely ‘off the rails,’ essentially becoming a TRAIN WRECK over the past five weeks. The one thing Third Parties are good for is the creation of complete and total disruption and chaos.”
Musk said in a post on X Saturday that he had set up the ‘American Party’ to compete against the Republican and Democratic parties. The billionaire had teased for weeks the idea of a new political party, taking on Trump over the tax and spending plans that he said would bankrupt the economy.
“By a factor of 2 to 1, you want a new political party and you shall have it!” Musk wrote, “Today, the America Party is formed to give you back your freedom.”
Disagreement over the spending bill had led to a dramatic falling out between Trump and Musk, souring the bromance which saw Musk spend millions of dollars sponsoring Trump’s re-election bid and the president appoint Musk to lead the Department of Government Efficiency, known as DOGE, tasked with identifying areas to cut federal spending.
“I think it’s ridiculous to start a third party. We have had tremendous success with the Republican Party. The Democrats have lost their way, but it’s always been a two-party system, and I think starting a third party just adds to the confusion,” Trump said Sunday, a day after Musk’s announcement.
Trump also took aim at Musk’s push for an “Electric Vehicle Mandate” in the Sunday post, saying it would have “forced everyone to buy an Electric Car in a short period of time.”
The president’s tax and spending plan, which he signed into law on 4 July, ended tax breaks for electric vehicles.
He added that he had opposed Musk’s proposal for an EV mandate from the beginning, explaining the reasons for omitting such vehicles in the legislation.
The legislation includes increased spending for border security, defence and energy production, offset by controversial cuts to healthcare and food-support programmes.
Musk floated the idea of a new political party online during his public spat with Trump as he repeatedly criticised his spending plans.
