Washington, 7 July 2025:
Elon Musk, the CEO of Tesla, and former President Donald Trump have been embroiled in a public dispute since the billionaire's announcement of plans to form a new "America Party."
Trump dismissed any idea of a viable third party in a post on Truth Social, saying he was "saddened" to see Musk "go completely off the rails" and characterise him as "essentially becoming a TRAIN WRECK." He went on to say that the current two party system functions as a "smooth running machine" and that "the one thing Third Parties are good for is the creation of Complete and Total DISRUPTION & CHAOS."
Their relationship ended after Musk criticised Trump's signature piece of legislation, the "Big Beautiful Bill," calling it "insane spending" and promising "debt slavery." Musk responds to Trump's accusation that he is against the bill because it eliminates incentives for electric vehicles by tying it to the growing national debt. Following an X poll in which about 80% of participants favored a third-party initiative, Musk initially proposed plans for the new America Party. He made it clear that he intended to run against both Republican and Democratic incumbents, concentrating on important House and Senate races.
Trump responded by highlighting his favored two party system and denounced Musk's action as "disruptive" and "ridiculous." Additionally, he disclosed that Musk allegedly attempted to influence NASA appointments by pushing for a friend to head the agency, something Trump deemed improper considering Musk's private commercial interests. Musk responded to X by mockingly pointing out that Trump's worries about the national debt were legitimate and casting doubt on the usefulness of his social media accounts. He wrote, mocking Trump's comments, "Fear is the mind killer."
Musk's political endeavor is seen by financial analysts as a risky distraction from his main business. According to Dan Ives of Wedbush, Tesla shareholders might perceive this as a cause of short-term volatility. With Musk claiming the need to fight "debt slavery" and partisan deadlock and Trump warning of possible consequences for subsidies, the altercation highlights a sharp deterioration in the relationship between two influential individuals who were once in agreement.
The rivalry that is developing adds interest to the American political scene because Musk's aspirations to join a third party may make the 2026 election more difficult.
