US President Donald Trump launched a withering attack on Elon Musk on Sunday, describing the billionaire entrepreneur as “off the rails” and branding his newly announced political outfit a recipe for chaos.
The fallout between the two once-close allies appears to have crystallised around the recently passed spending legislation, Trump’s so-called “big, beautiful bill,” which effectively scraps the federal mandate for electric vehicles. The Tesla boss, who had publicly supported Trump’s re-election campaign, responded by announcing the launch of the ‘America Party’ aimed at unseating Republican lawmakers who backed the bill.
“I am saddened to watch Elon Musk go completely ‘off the rails,’ essentially becoming a TRAIN WRECK over the past five weeks,” Trump posted on Truth Social. “He even wants to start a Third Political Party, despite the fact that they have never succeeded in the United States.”
Trump, never shy of speaking his mind, made it clear he viewed third parties as inherently destabilising. “The one thing Third Parties are good for is the creation of Complete and Total DISRUPTION & CHAOS, and we have enough of that with the Radical Left Democrats, who have lost their confidence and their minds!” he added.
Casting himself as the guardian of consumer choice, Trump used the opportunity to trumpet the Republican Party’s legislative victory. “It is a Great Bill but, unfortunately for Elon, it eliminates the ridiculous Electric Vehicle (EV) Mandate, which would have forced everyone to buy an Electric Car in a short period of time. I have been strongly opposed to that from the very beginning.”
“People are now allowed to buy whatever they want—Gasoline Powered, Hybrids (which are doing very well), or New Technologies as they come about—No more EV Mandate,” he said. Trump claimed Musk had earlier endorsed him knowing full well that scrapping the mandate was central to his agenda.
Also read: Elon Musk launches 'America Party' to fight US ‘uniparty’ system
Trump also levelled criticism over Musk’s behind-the-scenes lobbying, particularly regarding NASA. “Additionally, Elon asked that one of his close friends run NASA and, while I thought his friend was very good, I was surprised to learn that he was a blue blooded Democrat, who had never contributed to a Republican before. Elon probably was, also.”
The individual in question, billionaire private astronaut Jared Isaacman, had been nominated by Trump in December to lead NASA. The nomination was quietly withdrawn in May before it could reach the Senate floor, following reports of Isaacman’s past Democratic affiliations and close ties to Musk’s commercial space ventures.
“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. My Number One charge is to protect the American Public!” Trump wrote.
Speaking to reporters before boarding Air Force One in Morristown, New Jersey, Trump dismissed Musk’s political ambitions as unserious. “I think it’s ridiculous to start a third party. We have tremendous success with the Republican Party, the Democrats have lost their way, but it has always been a two-party system.”
He added, “And I think starting a third party just adds to the confusion, third parties have never worked. So, he can have fun with it, but I think it is ridiculous.”
Musk, for his part, has claimed the Republican-backed bill could bankrupt the country and has pledged to contest GOP lawmakers in next year’s midterm elections. The tech mogul, who previously stood beside Trump in the White House, appears to have severed ties following the collapse of green energy subsidies key to Tesla’s growth.
Trump, meanwhile, has hinted at pulling government contracts and subsidies from Musk’s companies in retaliation, putting billions at stake for both Tesla and SpaceX. The breakdown in relations signals a striking rupture between two of America’s most influential businessmen, once aligned but now publicly at odds.
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