Former President Donald Trump delivered a scathing response Sunday to Elon Musk’s announcement of a new political party, calling the move “ridiculous” during remarks in Morristown, New Jersey.
Musk had unveiled his proposed “America Party” just a day earlier, following a public poll on X (formerly Twitter) in which he gauged support for a centrist political movement. The tech billionaire said the party would aim to represent the “80% in the middle” of the political spectrum and would carry the same name as his existing political action committee.
Trump, however, was unimpressed. He reaffirmed his loyalty to the Republican Party and dismissed third-party ventures as confusing and counterproductive. “America has a two-party system. It works. It’s worked for a long time,” Trump said. He added, “Let him have fun with it,” but made clear he saw no serious future for the venture.
The exchange marks a new low in the once-cordial relationship between the two high-profile figures. Musk had previously supported Trump’s policies and received favorable attention from the former president. But the alliance began to fray, with Musk recently calling Trump’s proposed “One Big Beautiful Bill” plan “utterly insane and destructive.”
Tensions escalated further last month when Musk first floated the idea of launching a new political party, arguing that the current political system no longer reflects the views of the majority of Americans.
Trump’s rejection of the “America Party” underscores a growing rift between the two influential figures and reflects broader skepticism among Republican leaders about splinter movements heading into the 2026 midterms.