Trump Blasts Musk Over New Party, Calls Him Train Wreck

Donald Trump, the former US president, publicly criticized Elon Musk on Sunday through a post on Truth Social, expressing his disappointment with Musk's recent actions and statements. Trump described Musk as having gone "completely ‘off the rails’" and becoming a "TRAIN WRECK" over the past five weeks. This criticism comes amidst a growing feud between the two figures, fueled by disagreements over policy and political strategy.

Trump's criticism extended to Musk's recent announcement of the America Party, which Musk claimed was in response to voter preferences for a new political option. Musk cited research showing that voters favored a new party by "a factor of 2 to 1" and blamed both Republicans and Democrats for waste and corruption, labeling the US political system as a "one-party system." Trump, however, dismissed the idea of a third party, stating that such parties have never succeeded in the US and would only lead to "complete and total disruption and chaos." He argued that the Republican Party is a "smooth running machine" and highlighted the recent passage of a significant bill that eliminated the federal electric vehicle mandate, a longstanding campaign goal of his.

Trump emphasized that the bill, which he signed last week, would allow Americans to choose the type of cars they drive, whether gas, hybrids, or future technologies. He reminded Musk that this rollback was a consistent part of his campaign promises and conversations. Trump also revealed that he had asked Musk about the mandate's removal, to which Musk supposedly responded that he didn't mind. Trump found this surprising, given Musk's previous "total and unquestioned Endorsement" of his policies.

The feud between Trump and Musk has escalated over the past few weeks, with both figures making public statements and taking actions that have further divided their respective supporters. On June 28, Musk tweeted that the latest Senate draft bill would "destroy millions of jobs in America and cause immense strategic harm to our country," calling it "political suicide for the Republican Party." Trump responded by announcing that he would use a regulatory program to investigate Musk's business contracts with the federal government. Musk then made it personal by announcing his financial support for Rep. Thomas Massie's reelection campaign, who had voted against Trump's bill. In response, Trump hinted at the possibility of deporting Musk.

Meanwhile, a Russian politician offered Musk political asylum if the situation escalated further, although Musk has not commented on this offer. Polls have shown a significant drop in Musk's favorability among Republicans, with a YouGov poll indicating a 20-point decrease in June. However, Musk's new party has gained interest from nearly 40% of Americans, according to a Quantus Insights poll, rattling both major parties. Inside the MAGA camp, most Republicans sided with Trump, while Democrats were more divided. Former Trump strategist Steve Bannon suggested that Musk might be "flipped" by Democrats, and Democratic California Congressman Ro Khanna urged his party to court Musk, seeing potential long-term benefits.