Musk Escalates Trump Feud, Polls Public on New Political Party

Musk Escalates Trump Feud, Polls Public on New Political Party

The escalation follows Musk’s recent departure as the chief of the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), where he served to reduce wasteful spending.

By RMN News Service

NEW DELHI, INDIA – June 6, 2025 – Billionaire Elon Musk has intensified his public spat with US President Donald Trump and his administration, launching a poll on Thursday (June 5) that asked his more than 200 million followers on X whether it was time to create a new political party in America that “actually represents the 80% in the middle.”

The post quickly went viral, garnering over 4.1 million votes, with a striking 81% voting “yes.” This move marks a significant escalation in the ongoing feud between the tech mogul and the President.

Is it time to create a new political party in America that actually represents the 80% in the middle?

— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) June 5, 2025

Adding fuel to the fire, Musk directly addressed a prominent conservative who suggested Republicans would be forced to choose between the two men. Musk retorted, “Oh and some food for thought as they ponder this question: Trump has 3.5 years left as President, but I will be around for 40+ years…”

The public animosity between Musk and Trump first surfaced when the President expressed “disappointment” in Musk for opposing his “Big Beautiful Bill.” Trump accused Musk of self-interest, claiming he “went CRAZY” because the bill slashed electric vehicle credits and he missed access to the Oval Office.

Musk had previously claimed that Trump would not have won the election without his influence, posting on X, “Without me, Trump would have lost the election, Dems would control the House and the Republicans would be 51-49 in the Senate. Such ingratitude.”

Trump also publicly acknowledged the rift for the first time, telling reporters, “Elon and I had a great relationship. I don’t know if we will anymore. I’m very disappointed in Elon. I’ve helped Elon a lot.”

The escalation follows Musk’s recent departure as the chief of the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), where he served to reduce wasteful spending. Musk thanked the President for the “opportunity” and expressed his belief that the DOGE mission would become a “way of life” in government.

His resignation came after his initial public criticism of the President’s “big, beautiful” spending bill, which he suggested could inflate the budget deficit and undermine DOGE’s efforts. “A bill can be big, or it can be beautiful. But I don’t know if it can be both. My personal opinion,” Musk had commented on the bill.

Musk had been a prominent figure in the Trump administration, serving as a major donor to Trump’s 2024 election campaign and maintaining close ties with the President after his inauguration. President Trump had even praised Musk in his victory speech, calling him “a star is born.”

However, by late April, Musk began to distance himself, admitting in interviews that DOGE had become a “whipping boy” for dissatisfaction within the administration and that he had not achieved all his goals with the department.

Compounding Musk’s challenges, a US District judge has ruled that he must face a lawsuit alleging he wielded illegal power as the head of DOGE. This is one of several cases seeking to block Musk and DOGE’s access to extensive amounts of Americans’ financial and personal information within agency systems and records.

Musk’s focus has also reportedly shifted back to his various businesses, which have faced recent setbacks. Tesla dealerships have been targeted by arsonists, and its share prices have dropped. SpaceX has also encountered difficulties, including a recent Starship test flight that exploded over the Indian Ocean. Separately, a two-hour outage on the social media platform X prompted Musk to post about the need for major operational improvements.