T reasury Secretary Scott Bessent criticized Elon Musk 's new political party, saying the world's wealthiest man wasn't a popular part of the Trump administration. Asked about Musk's move, Bessent told CNN's Dana Bash that the ideas behind the administration's Department of Government Efficiency effort, also known as DOGE, were "very popular."

Musk described his new party on his platform X as tech-centric, budget-conscious, pro-energy and centrist, with the goal of drawing both disaffected Democrats and Republicans.

The squabble could be particularly costly for Musk, whose businesses rely on billions of dollars in government contracts, and whose publicly traded company Tesla has taken a market hit.