What began as a policy disagreement has quickly escalated into a full-blown political feud between former President Donald Trump and tech billionaire Elon Musk, with both men trading increasingly personal attacks and threats in a series of highly public online posts.
The tipping point came Thursday afternoon when Musk floated the idea of a third political party aimed at representing the “80% in the middle,” an apparent jab at both Democrats and Republicans.
“Is it time to create a new political party in America that actually represents the 80% in the middle?” Musk wrote on X, the platform he owns. The post included a poll for his 200 million followers to weigh in. Within hours, millions had voted.
But the billionaire didn’t stop there. In a follow-up post, Musk reignited one of the internet’s most toxic conspiracy theories, alleging that Trump is connected to sealed files involving Jeffrey Epstein’s sex trafficking operation. “That is the real reason they have not been made public,” Musk claimed, without providing evidence.
Trump fired back from his Truth Social account, calling Musk “ungrateful” and threatening to cut off his government contracts and subsidies. “I took away his EV Mandate that forced everyone to buy Electric Cars that nobody else wanted (that he knew for months I was going to do!), and he just went CRAZY!” Trump wrote.
In a separate post, Trump appeared to target Musk’s business empire directly. “The easiest way to save money in our Budget, Billions and Billions of Dollars, is to terminate Elon’s Governmental Subsidies and Contracts,” he said, adding, “I was always surprised that Biden didn’t do it!”
From Allies to Adversaries
Just last week, Musk stepped down from his advisory role as the head of the Department of Government Efficiency, citing the expiration of a temporary appointment. At the time, he praised Trump and said he would remain a friend and informal adviser.
That tone has since evaporated.
The rift between the two men appears to have begun over Musk’s scathing review of Trump’s latest legislative win—a sweeping $1.5 trillion spending and tax cut bill that narrowly passed the House this week.
“This massive, outrageous, pork-filled Congressional spending bill is a disgusting abomination,” Musk posted earlier this week. “Shame on those who voted for it: you know you did wrong.”
Trump reportedly took Musk’s comments personally, responding with a post expressing
“disappointment” and defending the legislation, which includes provisions like extending the 2017 tax cuts, adding work requirements to Medicaid, and eliminating federal taxes on tips.
Musk responded by calling Trump “ungrateful,” and claimed that his financial and social media support was instrumental to Trump’s 2024 campaign victory.
The Bigger Picture
The spat comes at a delicate moment for the Republican Party, which is working to push the controversial spending bill through the Senate using budget reconciliation—a process that allows passage with a simple majority.
While Trump has been rallying support for the bill, fiscal conservatives have voiced concerns over its impact on the deficit, which would increase by an estimated $4 trillion despite claims of budgetary restraint.
“The Senate must make this bill better,” Senator Mike Lee (R-Utah) wrote in response to Musk’s post.
“He’s right,” added Representative Thomas Massie (R-Ky.), one of just two Republicans to vote against the bill in the House.
A New Political Landscape?
While it’s unclear whether Musk is serious about forming a third party or simply venting frustration, his comments are likely to resonate with a growing segment of voters dissatisfied with both major parties.
Political analysts say the Musk-Trump feud could foreshadow deeper divisions within the Republican coalition—particularly between populist conservatives aligned with Trump and libertarian-minded technocrats who favor economic innovation and limited government.
As for Musk’s poll, early results suggest there’s significant appetite for alternatives. But whether that translates into real political movement remains to be seen.
