Elon Musk announced the formation of a new political organization, the "America Party," over the weekend, framing it as a challenge to what he called the nation's "one-party system" and a direct response to the historic $3.3 trillion spending bill signed into law by President Donald Trump on Friday.
"By a factor of 2 to 1, you want a new political party and you shall have it," Musk posted Saturday on X, the social media platform he owns. "When it comes to bankrupting our country with waste & graft, we live in a one-party system, not a democracy. Today, the America Party is formed to give you back your freedom."
The Tesla and SpaceX CEO's post came shortly after a July 4 X poll he ran drew over 1.2 million responses, with 65.4% of participants voting in favor of creating a new political party. Musk's post did not specify where the new party might be registered, and as of Saturday, it had not appeared in the Federal Election Commission's database.
The billionaire, who was the largest donor during the 2024 presidential campaign with contributions exceeding $280 million-mostly to Trump and other Republicans-has since turned sharply against the president's domestic policy. His criticism intensified following the passage of Trump's $3.3 trillion legislative package, which includes sweeping tax cuts, infrastructure projects, and direct stimulus checks.
"It is obvious with the insane spending of this bill, which increases the debt ceiling by a record FIVE TRILLION DOLLARS that we live in a one-party country - the PORKY PIG PARTY!!" Musk wrote on X earlier in the week.
Musk's vision for the America Party centers on targeting a small but pivotal number of congressional seats-"just 2 or 3 Senate seats and 8 to 10 House districts," he said Friday. "Given the razor-thin legislative margins, that would be enough to serve as the deciding vote on contentious laws, ensuring that they serve the true will of the people."
Musk added that the party would caucus independently and negotiate legislative priorities with both Democrats and Republicans.
While Musk did not explicitly tie the America Party's launch to his ongoing feud with Trump, the timing underscores the growing rift between the two. Once close allies, Musk and Trump have publicly clashed in recent months, particularly over the president's reliance on expansive federal programs. Musk stepped down in May from his appointed role in Trump's Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), a once-controversial body created to reduce the federal workforce.
The formation of a new political party in the U.S. faces steep obstacles, including restrictive ballot access laws, the Electoral College's winner-take-all format, and entrenched partisanship. Despite this, Musk's wealth, platform ownership, and name recognition could help the party bypass traditional hurdles faced by past third-party efforts.
Some conservative commentators expressed concern that the new party could fracture the right-leaning vote. "Your third party will disproportionately take votes from the right vs the left and give the left an easier path to power," Shawn Farash posted in response.
Others, like political influencer Joey Mannarino, urged Musk to "reform the GOP from within," warning that a third-party insurgency might dilute conservative momentum.
