Tesla CEO Elon Musk and President Donald Trump appear to be in the kind of chaotic relationship that social media lives to warn you about. First the two seemed to be enjoying a business alliance-turned-bromance when Musk was invited to become a special government employee in January and spearhead the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE).

How should a corporate board respond to a CEO publicly insulting and shaming a sitting president? It’s not a question that most need to consider, since few chief executives dare to directly criticize the White House.

In an escalation of Elon Musk’s fractured relationship with President Donald Trump and his Republican allies, the Tesla CEO has floated the idea of starting a new political party to rival the two-party system.