But as their relationship continues to devolve with insults and Musk’s promise to fund his own “America Party” instead of Trump’s Republican Party, it’s worth looking at what a well-funded alternative party might actually do.

Here's what it would take for Elon Musk to launch a third-party effort to represent what he called "the 80% in the middle."

Musk promised to campaign against Republicans who voted for the bill, and Trump pondered whether to deport the South Africa-born billionaire. But after Musk announced over the weekend the formation of his planned third political party, the “America Party,” Trump seemed to feel less love or hate than pity.