President Trump harshly criticized Elon Musk's plan to form his own party, declaring 'responsibility number one is to protect the American public'

In a post on the social network Truth Social late on July 6 (US time), Mr. Trump criticized what he described as Elon Musk's erratic behavior in recent weeks and called the businessman a "train wreck." He said that Musk's proposal to form a third party - called the "America Party" - would fail and only serve to divide voters.

“I am saddened to see Elon Musk completely derail, essentially being a train wreck over the last 5 weeks,” Trump wrote. “He even wants to create a third political party, despite the fact that they have never been successful in the United States – the system is not designed for them.”

"The only thing third parties are good for is creating total and utter disorder & chaos," President Trump added, accusing Democrats of having brought "enough of it."

Trump also defended his newly signed trillion-dollar spending package, dubbed the “Big and Good Bill,” which Musk has criticized. The president said the billionaire opposed the bill because it eliminated federal electric vehicle mandates that benefited Musk’s business. Trump also attacked Musk’s attempt to nominate an associate to run NASA, noting that the candidate is a Democrat and that the appointment would raise conflict-of-interest concerns.

"My number one responsibility is to protect the American public!" Mr. Trump wrote.

The comments follow Musk's announcement on July 4 that he was promoting the formation of the United States Party, pledging to "set the people free" and attacking both major parties for "bankrupting" the country.

While not specifying a timeline, Musk outlined his strategy, hinting that the first move could be expected "next year," during the US midterm elections in November 2026. "The way we're going to disrupt the one-party system is by using a variation of how Epaminondas shattered the myth of Spartan invincibility at Leuctra: incredibly concentrated forces at a precise location on the battlefield," Musk declared.

Musk has previously asserted that his criticism of Trump's policies was not due to subsidies but rather to the massive increase in budget deficits, which he was recruited to cut as one of the key figures of the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE).

Since the honeymoon period ended, Musk and Trump have been locked in a war of words, with the US president accusing his one-time close ally of receiving more US government subsidies “than any human being in history,” and even considering deporting the South African-born businessman.