Elon Musk is being courted by one of President Donald Trump's biggest political enemies as the fallout between the two billionaires intensifies.
Social media users in China posted some glowing remarks about Musk after he threatened to start a new political party in response to Republicans passing Trump's budget, The Guardian reported. Musk had previously described the budget as "political suicide" for Republicans before walking his comments back.
For instance, the hashtag #MuskWantsToBuildAnAmericaParty went viral on the Chinese social media platform Weibo. The Guardian reported that the hashtag had more than 37 million views at one point.
"If Elon Musk were to found a political party, his tech-driven mindset could inject fresh energy into politics. The potential for change is significant – and worth watching," a Weibo user posted.
“Brother Musk, you’ve got over a billion people on our side backing you," wrote another commenter.
The comments come at a time when tensions appear to be rising between Musk and Trump. Trump recently threatened to deport Musk after the Tesla and SpaceX CEO thrashed the Trump budget bill. Trump has also threatened to cancel government conflicts with Musk's companies if Musk decides to fund primary challenges against MAGA loyalists.
The political fallout from Musk's relationship with Trump is already impacting his businesses. Sales of Tesla Cybertrucks have cratered over the last two years, and Tesla investors have asked Musk to focus on the company full-time.