The long-simmering feud between Donald Trump and Elon Musk erupted into open warfare this week after Musk stunned the political world by announcing the formation of his own political party — the “Forward Future Party” — a move that threatens to siphon off critical votes from Trump in the upcoming election.
At a fiery rally in Tampa on Sunday night, Trump didn’t hold back.
“Elon Musk is a total train wreck,” Trump roared to a cheering crowd. “He’s trying to buy America like he bought Twitter — and we all saw how that turned out. Disaster! Total disaster!”
The attack came just hours after Musk posted a slick campaign-style video on X (formerly Twitter), unveiling the Forward Future Party as a “tech-savvy, centrist alternative” to what he called the “broken two-party system.” Musk promised to run candidates who are “pro-science, pro-business, pro-liberty,” and added, “The future doesn’t belong to extremists — it belongs to innovators.”
Trump, whose own re-election campaign has been marred by ongoing legal battles and internal GOP fractures, is reportedly furious behind the scenes. Sources close to the campaign said Trump sees Musk’s move as a “personal betrayal” after years of on-and-off public flirtation between the two men.
“They used to be allies — or at least transactional friends,” said a former White House adviser. “Trump praised Musk when it was convenient, and Musk tried to stay on his good side. But now, it’s war.”
Musk, for his part, has taken a more passive-aggressive approach. In a reply on X to Trump’s comments, he wrote: “If leadership means calling people names at rallies, maybe it is time for something new.”
The ‘Forward Future Party’ is still in its early stages. Still, insiders say Musk has already tapped several Silicon Valley allies, former independents, and a handful of libertarian thinkers to help shape its platform. He has hinted at hosting a major summit this fall to unveil the party’s first slate of candidates — possibly including one for president.
Political analysts are divided on whether Musk’s party will have a real impact or simply serve as a high-tech spoiler.
“If Musk peels off even a small percentage of tech-savvy independents or younger disillusioned voters, he could deal a serious blow to Trump,” said Dr. Alicia Grant, a political science professor at Georgetown University. “But if he flames out like some of his other ventures, it could just be a flash in the pan.”
Meanwhile, Trump is reportedly preparing a series of attacks designed to portray Musk as out-of-touch, unstable, and unelectable.
“Elon thinks he’s Iron Man,” Trump said at the Tampa rally. “But he’s more like Irony Man — because it’s a joke!”
Whether Musk’s party becomes a real political force or not, one thing is clear: the Trump-Musk feud has moved from passive jabs to an all-out political cage match, and the 2026 election season just got a lot more unpredictable.