Donald Trump Says Elon Musk Has Gone ‘Off the Rails’

President Donald Trump has fired back at former advisor Elon Musk and his plans to create a new political party.

“I am saddened to watch Elon Musk go completely ‘off the rails,’ essentially becoming a TRAIN WRECK over the past five weeks,” Trump wrote on Truth Social on Sunday, July 6. “He even wants to start a Third Political Party, despite the fact that they have never succeeded in the United States – The System seems not designed for them.”

Also on Sunday, the president told reporters before boarding Air Force One, “I think it’s ridiculous to start a third party. It’s always been a two-party system and I think starting a third party just adds to the confusion,” per the BBC.

In a post to X on Friday, July 4, Musk polled his followers, writing, “Independence Day is the perfect time to ask if you want independence from the two-party (some would say uniparty) system! Should we create the America Party?”

He further detailed his plan, writing, “One way to execute on this would be to laser-focus on just 2 or 3 Senate seats and 8 to 10 House districts. Given the razor-thin legislative margins, that would be enough to serve as the deciding vote on contentious laws, ensuring that they serve the true will of the people.”

The following day, the 54-year-old tech billionaire announced that the vote showed his followers did want a new party “by a factor of 2 to 1.”

“When it comes to bankrupting our country with waste & graft, we live in a one-party system, not a democracy,” he continued. “Today, the America Party is formed to give you back your freedom.”

In his post on Sunday, Trump wrote, “the one thing Third Parties are good for is the creation of Complete and Total DISRUPTION & CHAOS, and we have enough of that with the Radical Left Democrats, who have lost their confidence and their minds!”

The president also doubled down on his claims that the rift between Musk and his administration is due to the elimination of the electric vehicle (EV) mandate in his recently passed “Big Beautiful Bill,” the sweeping government budget plan that finally passed on Thursday, July 3, after weeks of deliberation.

“It is a Great Bill but, unfortunately for Elon, it eliminates the ridiculous Electric Vehicle (EV) Mandate, which would have forced everyone to buy an Electric Car in a short period of time. I have been strongly opposed to that from the very beginning,” Trump said.

Musk left his post as head of Trump’s Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) when his special government employee contract ended May 30. While it was initially said that he would continue on in an advisory role, his fierce criticism of Trump’s “Big Beautiful Bill” made the departure seem much more final.

Days later, Musk unleashed his true feelings about the president’s agenda and budget plans on X.

“I’m sorry, but I just can’t stand it anymore,” he wrote at the time. “This massive, outrageous, pork-filled Congressional spending bill is a disgusting abomination. Shame on those who voted for it: you know you did wrong. You know it.”

While he later walked back some of his most vitriolic posts on X, a source told PEOPLE last month that Musk’s relationship with the Trump White House was forever damaged.

“Trump doesn’t forget,” the source said. “He may say something acceptable for public consumption, but after what Elon wrote on social media, and despite his apology, Trump’s relationship with Musk will never again be the same.”

Never miss a story — sign up for PEOPLE’s free daily newsletter to stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer​​, from celebrity news to compelling human interest stories.

On Tuesday, July 1, Trump made it clear that he wasn’t ready to forgive and forget, threatening to leverage Musk’s former department against him. In a Truth Social post, he wrote that “BIG MONEY” could be saved by examining the billionaire’s government contracts.

“Elon may get more [subsidies] than any human being in history, by far, and without subsidies, Elon would probably have to close up shop and head back home to South Africa,” Trump noted. “No more Rocket launches, Satellites, or Electric Car Production, and our Country would save a FORTUNE.”

“DOGE is the monster that might have to go back and eat Elon. Wouldn’t that be terrible?” he mocked.