Elon Musk has escalated his war of words with Donald Trump, threatening to create a new political party called the “America Party” if the president’s massive tax and spending bill becomes law.
The world’s richest man declared it was “time for a new political party that actually cares about the people” after claiming the bill’s huge spending showed “we live in a one-party country – the PORKY PIG PARTY!!” He then said if the “insane spending bill passes”, the “America Party will be formed the next day”.
The threat marks a dramatic escalation in the bitter feud between two of America’s most powerful figures, despite Musk previously apologising for going “too far” in his attacks on the president.
Musk has now vowed to target any politician who supports Trump’s legislation in next year’s primary elections. In a post on X, he said lawmakers who had campaigned on cutting government spending but then backed the bill “should hang their heads in shame”. He added: “And they will lose their primary next year if it is the last thing I do on this Earth.”
Read also: Nigerian care worker spared jail in the UK after CCTV reveals abuse of elderly client
The Tesla and SpaceX boss also threatened to create posters featuring the faces of supporting politicians with the words “liar” and “voted to increase America’s debt” by $5 trillion (£3.6 trillion).
As senators debated the package, Musk described it as “utterly insane and destructive”. He argues the legislation would massively increase America’s national debt and wipe out the savings he claims to have made through his government cost-cutting efforts.
The conflict is particularly striking given Musk’s previous support for Trump. He spent at least $250 million (£182 million) helping the president win election and then led the newly formed Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), which cut approximately 120,000 federal jobs.
The dispute first erupted weeks ago when Musk called Trump’s tax and spending package a “disgusting abomination”. In a series of inflammatory social media posts, he even claimed – in a message later deleted – that the president appeared in files relating to disgraced paedophile financier Jeffrey Epstein.
However, Musk later backed down, writing: “I regret some of my posts about President @realDonaldTrump last week. They went too far.” Trump responded positively, telling the New York Post: “I thought it was very nice that he did that.”
That truce now appears to have collapsed entirely, with Musk’s threat to form a rival political party representing the most serious challenge yet to Trump’s authority from within his own coalition.
