Donald Trump on Sunday slammed Elon Musk over his announcement to form a new political party and said the Tesla CEO has completely gone “off the rails” and has essentially become a “train wreck” over the past five weeks.
Trump asserted Musk wants to start a Third Political Party, despite the fact that they have never succeeded in the United States.
In a post on his social media handle Truth Social, Trump wrote, “I am saddened to watch Elon Musk go completely “off the rails,” essentially becoming a TRAIN WRECK over the past five weeks.”
“He even wants to start a Third Political Party, despite the fact that they have never succeeded in the United States – The System seems not designed for them. 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!”
Hailing his party, the US President wrote, “Republicans, on the other hand, are a smooth running “machine,” that just passed the biggest Bill of its kind in the History of our Country.”
“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,” Trump mentioned.
“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. I have campaigned on this for two years and, quite honestly, 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 – It was in every speech I made, and in every conversation I had.”
“He said he had no problems with that – I was very surprised!” Trump mentioned.
“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.”
Trump, in his social media comments, also mentioned it was “inappropriate” to have named Musk ally Jared Isaacman as NASA administrator, considering Musk’s business with the space agency.
In December, Trump named Isaacman, a billionaire private astronaut, to lead NASA but withdrew the nomination on May 31, before his Senate confirmation vote and without explanation.
Trump, who is yet to announce a new NASA nominee, on Sunday confirmed media reports he disapproved of Isaacman’s previous support for Democratic politicians.”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!” the US President wrote.
Also speaking to reporters, and responding to a question on Musk announcing a new party, Trump said, “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.”
“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,” Trump told reporters before boarding Air Force One in Morristown, New Jersey, as he returned to Washington upon visiting his nearby golf club.
On Saturday, Musk announced that he is establishing the ‘America Party’ in response to Trump’s tax cut and spending bill, which Musk said would bankrupt the country.
Musk said his new party would in next year’s midterm elections look to unseat Republican lawmakers in Congress who backed the sweeping measure known as the “big, beautiful bill.”
Musk spent millions of dollars underwriting Trump’s 2024 re-election effort and, for a time, regularly showed up at the president’s side in the White House Oval Office and elsewhere.
Their disagreement over the spending bill led to a falling out that Musk briefly tried unsuccessfully to repair.
Trump has said Musk is unhappy because the measure, which Trump signed into law on Friday, takes away green-energy credits for Tesla’s electric vehicles.
The President has threatened to pull billions of dollars that Tesla and SpaceX receive in government contracts and subsidies in response to Musk’s criticism.
