Former President Donald Trump on Sunday criticized Elon Musk’s plan to launch a new U.S. political party, calling it “ridiculous” and warning it would cause confusion in a two-party system.
Speaking to reporters before boarding Air Force One in Morristown, New Jersey, Trump said the U.S. political structure is built for two parties and that third parties have never succeeded.
“It really seems to have been developed for two parties. Third parties have never worked, so he can have fun with it, but I think it’s ridiculous,” Trump said.
Trump later posted on Truth Social, saying Musk had gone “off the rails” and called the tech billionaire a “train wreck over the past five weeks.”
Musk announced the formation of the “America Party” on Saturday, citing opposition to Trump’s tax-cut and spending bill, which Musk claims would add $5 trillion to the federal deficit.
“What the heck was the point of DOGE if he’s just going to increase the debt by $5 trillion??” Musk posted on X, referencing a government downsizing agency he briefly led.
Musk said the new party would seek to unseat Republican lawmakers who supported the bill in next year’s midterm elections.
Musk had previously supported Trump’s 2024 re-election bid and appeared frequently alongside him at the White House. Their relationship soured over the spending bill.
Trump said Musk opposed the measure because it removed green-energy tax credits for Tesla vehicles. Trump also warned that Tesla and SpaceX could lose government contracts and subsidies in response to Musk’s criticism.
Trump also addressed reports about his withdrawal of Jared Isaacman’s nomination as NASA administrator.
He confirmed that Isaacman’s business ties to Musk made the appointment inappropriate.
“I also thought it inappropriate that a very close friend of Elon, who was in the space business, run NASA, when NASA is such a big part of Elon’s corporate life,” Trump said.
Isaacman, a private astronaut and Musk associate, was nominated in December. Trump withdrew the nomination on May 31 before Senate confirmation.
Trump added that Isaacman’s previous support for Democratic politicians influenced the decision.
Meanwhile, investment firm Azoria Partners announced on Saturday it will delay the launch of its Tesla-focused ETF, citing Musk’s political activities as a conflict of interest.
Azoria CEO James Fishback posted on X, urging the Tesla board to evaluate whether Musk’s political ambitions are compatible with his CEO responsibilities.
