Elon Musk, the world’s richest man and until recently a close adviser to US President Donald Trump, has announced the formation of a new political party called the America Party. The move follows a dramatic split between the two over Trump’s controversial tax-and-spending bill, which Musk says will bankrupt the country.The Tesla and SpaceX CEO made the announcement on his social media platform, X, on Saturday, just a day after Trump signed what he called his “big, beautiful” bill into law. Musk, who had previously threatened to create a new party if the bill passed, wrote, “Today, the America Party is formed to give you back your freedom.”
‘Independence from the two-party system’
According to Musk, the new America Party will aim to be a fiscally conservative force focused on reducing government waste. In a poll he shared with his followers on X, more than 65 percent of 1.25 million respondents voted “yes” to the creation of the party. “Independence Day is the perfect time to ask if you want independence from the two-party (some would say uniparty) system!” he posted.Musk claims the ‘uniparty’ will improve on the shortcomings of both Democrats and Republicans.In a follow-up post, Musk added: “By a factor of 2 to 1, you want a new political party, and you shall have it! When it comes to bankrupting our country with waste & graft, we live in a one-party system, not a democracy.”
‘Serve the true will of the people’
Although Musk did not immediately provide details about the legal structure or leadership of the America Party, he did outline an initial strategy. “One way to execute on this would be to laser-focus on just 2 or 3 Senate seats and 8 to 10 House districts,” he wrote. “Given the razor-thin legislative margins, that would be enough to serve as the deciding vote on contentious laws, ensuring they serve the true will of the people.”
‘Put Doge on Elon’: Trump
The billionaire’s criticism of the bill reignited tensions with Trump, which had appeared to cool after Musk previously deleted harsh posts about the president. However, the feud returned in full force as the bill neared approval. Musk had warned that he would fund primary challenges against every lawmaker who supported the bill.“Without subsidies, Elon would probably have to close up shop and head to South Africa,” Trump said on Truth Social, referring to Musk’s country of birth. The president also told reporters in Florida, “We might have to put Doge on Elon. Doge is the monster that might have to go back and eat Elon. Wouldn’t that be terrible.”
Is a third party viable in US?
Despite the announcement, experts say creating a strong third party in the US is very difficult, according to CNN. By law, a new party doesn’t have to register with the Federal Election Commission unless it starts raising or spending money on federal elections. So far, no such records exist for the America Party.In the past, third-party efforts in the US have had a hard time gaining support. A well-known example was billionaire Ross Perot’s 1992 presidential run. He got nearly 19% of the popular vote but didn’t win any Electoral College votes.Musk was one of Trump’s largest financial backers during the 2024 presidential race, spending an estimated $277 million to support his campaign. He was rewarded with a leadership role in the newly created Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), which oversaw sweeping budget cuts across federal programmes. While Doge claimed to have saved $190 billion, a watchdog group estimated the abrupt cuts may have cost taxpayers $135 billion in the long run.