Musk Threatens New Party, Trump Says ‘DOGE Monster Can Eat Elon’/ newslooks/ WASHINGTON/ J. Mansour/ Morning Edition/ Elon Musk threatens to launch a new political party as his feud with President Trump intensifies. Trump lashes back, hinting at cutting Musk’s subsidies and invoking his government efficiency agency, DOGE. The dispute centers on Trump’s spending bill and rollback of EV incentives critical to Musk’s businesses.
Musk vs. Trump Political Feud Quick Look
- Musk calls GOP the “PORKY PIG PARTY!!” over Trump’s spending bill.
- Trump hints DOGE could target Musk’s subsidies and contracts.
- Musk threatens to launch “America Party” as political alternative.
- Tesla and SpaceX subsidies hang in the balance.
- Musk criticizes rollback of EV tax incentives in Trump’s bill.
- Trump questions Musk’s loyalty, jokes about deportation.
- Musk once donated $250 million to Trump’s 2024 campaign.
- Musk considering funding challengers to GOP lawmakers supporting Trump’s bill.
Musk Threatens New Party, Trump Says ‘DOGE Monster Can Eat Elon’
Deep Look
WASHINGTON (AP) — The rift between President Donald Trump and Elon Musk exploded anew this week, with the tech titan threatening to form a new political party and Trump firing back with veiled threats to cut government funding flowing to Musk’s empire.
Musk, who previously poured at least $250 million into Trump’s 2024 campaign via America PAC, has dramatically turned on the president over his latest tax and spending plan. In a barrage of posts on his social platform X, Musk slammed the GOP as the “PORKY PIG PARTY!!” for embracing a bill he deemed “political suicide,” which would raise the debt ceiling by $5 trillion and gut green energy tax credits crucial to Tesla and SpaceX.
He also pledged to back primary challengers against Republican lawmakers supporting the bill, responding “I will” to ex-Rep. Justin Amash’s call for help funding Rep. Thomas Massie, a Kentucky Republican now in Trump’s crosshairs.
Early Tuesday, Musk praised Massie directly on X, writing, “You’re awesome,” as the congressman shared news of Musk’s growing support.
The once-tight Trump-Musk alliance has publicly unraveled in recent weeks. Last month, they traded insults, with Musk calling for Trump’s impeachment and Trump threatening to scrutinize Musk’s lucrative government deals.
Trump reignited the feud overnight, accusing Musk of hypocrisy over the EV mandate and claiming that Tesla wouldn’t exist without federal subsidies.
“Perhaps we should have DOGE take a good, hard, look at this? BIG MONEY TO BE SAVED!!!” Trump wrote online, referencing the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) — an entity Musk once led under Trump, tasked with slashing waste across federal agencies.
On Tuesday, pressed by reporters about whether he’d consider deporting Musk, Trump joked:
“We might have to put DOGE on Elon. You know what DOGE is. DOGE is the monster that might have to go back and eat Elon.”
Musk, meanwhile, is floating the idea of launching a new political movement. He reposted a poll from his X feed showing over 80% support among 5 million voters for a new centrist party.
“If this insane spending bill passes, the America Party will be formed,” Musk declared Monday, vowing to create a political force to challenge what he calls the “Democrat-Republican uniparty.”
Whether Musk follows through remains unclear. But his threats carry weight given his vast fortune — and his willingness to spend big on political battles that align with his interests in technology, space, and energy.
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