Trump calls Elon Musk's new party plan 'ridiculous'
New York (PTI): US President Donald Trump slammed Elon Musk after he formed a new political party, terming the move as "ridiculous" and saying the tech billionaire has gone "completely off the rails".
Musk, Trump's one-time ally, said in a post on X Saturday that he had set up the “American Party” to compete against the Republican and Democratic parties.
"I think it's ridiculous to start a third party," said Trump, speaking to reporters on Sunday before boarding Air Force One. "It's always been a two-party system, and I think starting a third party just adds to the confusion."
In a post on his social media platform, Truth Social, Trump said, “I am saddened to watch Elon Musk go completely ‘off the rails,’ essentially becoming a TRAIN WRECK over the past five weeks."
Musk even wants to start a third political party despite the fact that they have never succeeded in the United States, the US President said.
"The one thing Third Parties are good for is the creation of Complete and Total DISRUPTION & CHAOS,” Trump added.
He claimed that the Tesla CEO was motivated by discontent over his plan to end subsidies to promote the purchase of electric vehicles.
Trump also accused Musk of seeking improper influence by asking him to nominate his friend, Jared Isaacman, to be NASA administrator.
After Musk left his role as a special government employee in the Trump administration, Isaacman’s nomination was also withdrawn.
“I also thought it inappropriate that a very close friend of Elon, who was in the Space Business, run NASA, when NASA is such a big part of Elon’s corporate life,” Trump wrote.
Musk, the largest individual donor to Trump’s 2024 presidential campaign, was a close adviser to Trump until recently.
Musk, who spearheaded the Trump administration’s push to cut government waste, had criticised Trump’s “big beautiful" tax and spending bill because of estimates that it would add trillions of dollars to the federal deficit.
The legislation was narrowly passed by Congress and signed into law by the president this week.
Musk’s criticism of the bill was the catalyst for a major falling out between the two men last month.
The world’s richest man has indicated he wants a party that is fiscally conservative and reins in spending, but has offered few other details about what the party’s platform would be.
The two-party system in the United States has long been criticised by both registered Democrats and registered Republicans, but efforts in the last century to form a third party have shown little success.
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K’taka HC declines stay on menstrual leave order, says issue of public importance
Bengaluru: The State Government has strongly defended its decision to grant one day of paid menstrual leave every month to women employees, telling the Karnataka High Court that the notification was issued in the larger interest of women and is legally sound. The Court, treating the matter as one of significant public importance, refused to stay the implementation of the order and adjourned the hearing to January 20.
The Labour Department’s November 20, 2025 notification was challenged by the Bangalore Hotels Association, Avirat Defence System, Facile Aerospace Technologies Ltd and Samos Technologies Ltd. Justice Jyoti Mulimani heard the petitions on Wednesday.
At the start of the hearing, the bench asked whether the State had filed its objections. Advocate General K. Shashikiran Shetty informed the Court that objections had been submitted and that copies would be provided to the petitioners.
Defending the notification, the Advocate General said the government had introduced a progressive measure aimed at women’s welfare, one that no other state in India had implemented so far. He told the Court that 72 objections were received and considered before finalising the notification. He argued that the government was empowered to frame such policy under Article 42 of the Constitution and noted that the Supreme Court and the Law Commission had earlier made recommendations in this direction.
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When the Court asked whether the notification applied to all sectors, the Advocate General replied in the affirmative. The bench observed that the matter required detailed hearing because of its wider public impact and decided to take it up in January. The Court added that petitioners may file their responses to the State’s objections before the next hearing.
Petitioners’ counsel B.K. Prashanth requested that the State be restrained from enforcing the order until the case is decided. The Advocate General responded that the government had already begun implementing the notification across all sectors.
Justice Mulimani noted that nothing would change between now and the next hearing and emphasised that the Court would consider all arguments thoroughly before issuing any direction. The bench then adjourned the matter to January 20 and asked petitioners to file any additional applications with copies to the State’s counsel.
