Morristown: President Donald Trump has publicly scorned former ally Elon Musk's launch of a new political party, labelling the initiative as "ridiculous." Trump's criticism comes after the tech billionaire, once a significant donor to his 2024 campaign, announced his intention to challenge the United States' established "one-party system."

Speaking to reporters before boarding Air Force One, Trump asserted, "I think it's ridiculous to start a third party... It's always been a two-party system, and I think starting a third party just adds to confusion." He reiterated that "Third parties have never worked," adding, "So he can have fun with it, but I think it's ridiculous."

The dispute between the two prominent figures escalated after Musk, who previously led the Republicans' effort to slash spending as head of the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), criticised the President's "massive domestic spending plan." Musk has argued his opposition is primarily due to the bill's impact on the US fiscal deficit and sovereign debt, vowing to challenge lawmakers who supported it. On Saturday, July 5, he formally created the "America Party" to pursue this goal.

In a later post on Truth Social, Trump intensified his attack, stating that Musk had gone "off the rails" and become "a TRAIN WRECK over the past five weeks." He contended that the creation of a third party would only lead to "Complete and Total DISRUPTION & CHAOS." Trump also reiterated his belief that Musk, the owner of Tesla, had turned against him because the spending bill cut electric vehicle subsidies.

Earlier on Sunday, Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent also weighed in, subtly criticising Musk's political foray. When asked if Musk's plan bothered the administration, Bessent suggested, "I believe that the boards of directors at his various companies wanted him to come back and run those companies, which he is better at than anyone." He implied that boards would encourage Musk to prioritise his business activities over political ones. Musk had left DOGE in May to refocus on his corporate responsibilities, amidst reports that Tesla's sales and image had suffered during his brief venture into Trump's inner circle.

With inputs from AFP