Elon Musk, the CEO of Tesla, has announced that exposing the Jeffrey Epstein files will be a top priority for the newly-formed ‘America Party.’ He questioned how people can trust Donald Trump if the files are not released. On X, Musk asked, “How can people be expected to have faith in Trump if he won’t release the Epstein files?” In response to a question on X about the America Party’s priorities, Musk replied with a “100” emoji, indicating that exposing the Epstein files is a high priority.
Epstein died in a New York prison cell in 2019, awaiting trial on sex trafficking charges. Earlier, Musk criticized Trump for not making any arrests related to the Epstein case. Musk posted an image of the “Official Jeffrey Epstein Pedophile Arrest Counter” showing “0000” on his social media platform. Along with the image, Musk wrote, “What’s the time? Oh look, it’s no-one-has-been-arrested-o’clock again.”
Musk intensified his disagreement with Trump by starting the ‘America Party’ and ramping up criticism regarding Trump’s handling of the Epstein case. The tension grew when Republicans passed a major policy bill that Trump supported. Musk then announced that he would support primary challengers against GOP members who voted for the bill. Trump responded by calling Musk’s new party ‘ridiculous’ and labeled him a ‘train wreck,’ stating that it would fail in the US political system.
Trump stated on Truth Social, “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… 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!”
Musk introduced the America Party after polling users on X about their desire for an alternative to the two-party system. He posted, “When it comes to bankrupting our country with waste & graft, we live in a one-party system, not a democracy. Today, the America Party is formed to give you back your freedom.”
The falling out between Musk and Trump represents a major shift in their relationship. Trump had previously praised Musk’s government cost-cutting efforts and even gave him a gold key to the White House. During his time with the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), Musk had an office at the White House and appeared in Cabinet meetings. Trump has also considered deporting Musk and suggested that the DOGE could be used against Musk’s businesses.