Elon Musk, who teased the idea for weeks, announced over the weekend in a post on X that he had officially formed the America Party. The new party seeks to take on what he called the Republican and Democratic "Uniparty."
The split represents a major turning point in their relationship. Musk has previously collaborated with the Trump regime to man the DOGE (Department of Government Efficiency), working to cut federal spending. He has also been a persistent critic of policies that have added to the ballooning U.S. national debt.
New Party Focuses on Congress
Musk, who has not endorsed a decision for president yet, said in a statement that the America Party "will be concentrating, during the next 12 months, on building campaigns in the House and the Senate." This is a signal that they are trying to set the stage to affect the control of Congress, rather than the 2024 presidential race directly, at least for now.
Trump, though, did not mince them. About Musk, he wrote on his Truth Social account: "He has gone off the rails: 'Diesel is not right/sparking, continuous train wreck over past 5 weeks.'
The former president also slammed Musk's advocacy for an Electric vehicle (EV) mandate that he claimed would have required consumers to transition to using electric cars too soon. "From Day one, I have been against the disastrous EV Mandate," Trump said, noting that the tax and spending bill he signed into law on July 4 terminated tax credits for electric cars.
Policy Differences Deepen the Rift
Trump used the visit to stress his support for consumer choice in the auto industry. "People are not being told that the cars they are 'now' driving are OK, but in the future won't be acceptable!" he added in a second tweet. No more EV Mandate," he said.
His tax-and-spending plan also calls for additional spending on defence, energy production, and border protection. But it has stirred controversy over reductions in health and food-assistance programs.
The rift between the two leading figures seems to be due to a combination of policy disputes and Musk's increasing political aspirations. The founding of the America Party comes after several weeks of public criticism from Musk concerning the economic and spending policies of Trump.
