Trump calls Elon Musk’s new political party ‘ridiculous’

President Donald Trump dismissed Elon Musk’s announcement of a new political party, calling the idea “ridiculous” and arguing that third parties only create confusion in the U.S. political system.

“I think it’s ridiculous to start a third party,” Trump told reporters in Morristown, New Jersey on Sunday. “We have a 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 confusion.”

“It really seems to have been developed for two parties,” Trump added. “Third parties have never worked, so he can have fun with it, but I think it’s ridiculous.”

Trump’s comments came a day after Elon Musk announced the formation of the “America Party,” writing on X: “Today, the America Party is formed to give you back your freedom.” A day earlier, Musk posted a poll saying, “Independence Day is the perfect time to ask if you want independence from the two-party (some would say uniparty) system!”

Musk previously served in Trump’s administration as a special adviser in the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) and was the largest individual donor to Trump’s 2024 campaign.

Their relationship began to unravel in late May after Musk publicly criticized Trump’s “One Big Beautiful Bill,” a controversial domestic spending package that was ultimately signed into law on Friday.

Musk denounced the legislation as fiscally reckless, warning that it would balloon the federal deficit and undermine months of cost-cutting efforts. He accused Trump of betraying voters and referred to the bill as a “disgusting abomination” and the “Debt Slavery Bill.”

Trump, in response, attributed Musk’s opposition to the removal of electric vehicle subsidies from the final version of the bill.