U.S. President Donald Trump has criticized his former close ally, Elon Musk, for launching a new political party.

“I think it’s ridiculous to start a third party,” Trump told reporters on Sunday, July 6, before boarding Air Force One. “It has always been a two-party system, and starting a third party only adds to the confusion.”

Musk, the CEO of Tesla and SpaceX, announced the formation of the new political party over the weekend, following a very public and bitter falling-out with President Trump. The new party aims to challenge what Musk calls the Republican and Democratic “Uniparty.”

Taking to his social media platform, Truth Social, President Trump elaborated:
“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 only thing third parties are good for is creating complete and total DISRUPTION & CHAOS,” Trump added. He went on to suggest that Musk’s decision was driven by frustration over Trump's proposed plan to end government subsidies promoting the purchase of electric vehicles.

Trump further accused Musk of attempting to exert undue influence by lobbying for his friend, Jared Isaacman, to be appointed as NASA administrator. After Musk resigned from his role as a special government employee in the Trump administration, Isaacman’s nomination was withdrawn.

“I also thought it inappropriate that a very close friend of Elon, who was in the space business, would run NASA—especially when NASA plays such a significant role in Elon’s corporate life,” Trump wrote.

Musk, who reportedly spent hundreds of millions of dollars supporting Trump’s re-election campaign and led the so-called Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) aimed at reducing government spending, revived his third-party idea last week after U.S. lawmakers approved Trump’s sweeping tax and spending bill.