Elon Musk's new party may challenge Trump despite no wins
Though Musk has provided few policy specifics, his party is expected to focus on House and Senate seats where incumbent Republicans supported Trump's bill despite advocating fiscal restraint. Political analyst Matt Shoemaker, a former GOP candidate, warned that Musk's influence could disrupt the 2026 midterms. 'With bare majorities in Congress, the Republicans should be worried,' he told AFP.
Musk, the world's richest person, has long hinted at political ambitions, with a June social media poll showing 80% support among 5.6 million respondents. Unlike past third parties, his movement boasts vast financial resources and a loyal following among young, tech-savvy voters. 'Musk's brand appeals to disaffected independents who might otherwise lean Republican in swing districts,' Shoemaker noted.
Despite Musk's wealth—estimated at $405 billion—his political spending has not always translated into success. A $20 million investment in a Wisconsin Supreme Court race ended in defeat, highlighting the limits of money and celebrity in politics. Additionally, his appeal may not extend beyond his Silicon Valley base to traditional heartland voters.
Polling data shows Musk's net favorability at -18.1, lower than Trump's -6.6, suggesting an uphill battle for broader support. Flavio Hickel, a political science professor, doubts Musk can sway Trump loyalists: 'The MAGA movement is inseparable from the Republican base today.'
Historically, third parties have struggled in the U.S., with only minor successes in the Senate last century. Analysts cite ballot access hurdles—signature requirements, fees, and state regulations—as major obstacles. 'No Labels tried and failed spectacularly,' strategist Matt Klink recalled.
While Musk's party is unlikely to win seats, experts say it could weaken Republicans by splitting votes in tight races. 'Elon's party won't win, but it could cost the GOP dearly,' said crisis PR expert Evan Nierman. - AFP
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
The Star
an hour ago
- The Star
Trump says US will charge Brazil with 50% tariff
WASHINGTON (Reuters) -President Donald Trump said on Wednesday his administration will charge Brazil with a 50% tariff on products sent to the U.S. starting August 1 while the Republican leader also expressed support for former Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro. Trump made his comments in a letter to Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva. The U.S. president has also been critical of the BRICS countries, of which Brazil is a key part. Trump's letter said the 50% tariff will be separate from all sectoral tariffs. (Reporting by Kanishka Singh And Ismail Shakil)
New Straits Times
5 hours ago
- New Straits Times
US, Israel diverge on Iran endgame after strikes
WHEN they met on Monday, US President Donald Trump and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu basked in the glow of their triumph over Iran. But the show of unity masked a divergence over their endgames in Iran, Gaza and the wider Middle East. Both leaders have touted the success of last month's strikes on Iran's nuclear infrastructure, declaring they had set back a programme they say is aimed at acquiring a nuclear bomb. Yet, with intelligence assessments suggesting that Iran retains a hidden stockpile of enriched uranium and the technical capacity to rebuild, both Trump and Netanyahu know that their victory is more short-term than strategic, two diplomats say. Where they diverge is on how to further pressure Iran, the diplomats say. Trump says his priority is to lean on diplomacy, pursuing a limited objective of ensuring Iran never develops a nuclear weapon — a goal Teheran has always denied pursuing. In contrast, Netanyahu wants to use more force, a source familiar with the Israeli leader's thinking said, compelling Teheran — to the point of government collapse if necessary — into fundamental concessions on quitting a nuclear enrichment programme seen by Israel as an existential threat. The divide over Iran echoes the situation in the Gaza Strip. Trump, eager to cast himself as a global peacemaker, is pushing for a new ceasefire between Israel and Hamas in the Palestinian territory, but the contours of any post-war deal remain undefined and the endgame uncertain. Netanyahu, while publicly endorsing ceasefire talks, says he is committed to the total dismantling of Hamas, a strategic ally of Iran. The Israeli prime minister wants the remaining Hamas leadership deported, possibly to Algeria — a demand Hamas flatly rejects. The gap between a temporary pause and a lasting resolution remains wide, two Middle East officials say. On Iran, Netanyahu was displeased to see Washington revive nuclear talks with Teheran expected in Norway this week, the first diplomatic overture since the strikes, said the person familiar with his thinking. He opposes any move that could give the Iranian authorities an economic and political lifeline. Netanyahu wants nothing less than the Libya model for Iran, the source said. That means Iran fully dismantling its nuclear and missile facilities under strict oversight, and renouncing uranium enrichment on its soil even for civilian needs. Israel is seeking not diplomacy but regime change, Western and regional officials have said. And Netanyahu knows he needs at least a green light from the White House — if not direct backing — to carry out further operations if Teheran refuses to relinquish its nuclear ambitions, they say. But Trump has different objectives, the diplomats say. After the June strikes, he sees an opportunity to press Iran to cut a deal and seize a grand diplomatic feat of restoring ties with Iran that has long eluded him. On Monday, Trump said he would like to lift sanctions on Iran at some point. And in an eye-catching post on X suggesting Teheran sees economic ties as a potential element in any deal, President Masoud Pezeshkian said on Monday that Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei believed American investors can come to Iran with "no obstacles to their activities". Iranian rulers, however, face two unpalatable options: renewed strikes if they do not surrender their nuclear ambitions and humiliation at home if they do. That means they may try to make talks drag out, unwilling to fully quit their nuclear project and presenting a difficulty for a US president impatient for a deal and its economic benefits for the US, Western and regional officials say. For Israel, the fallback option is clear, the person familiar with Netanyahu's thinking said: a policy of sustained containment through periodic strikes to prevent any nuclear resurgence. Washington, meanwhile, is hedging its bets. While Israeli and US hawks still hope for regime change in Teheran, Trump appears unwilling to shoulder the huge military, political and economic costs that such a project would demand. His repeated declarations that Iran's programme has been "obliterated" are less triumph than warning: don't ask for more — a signal that he's done enough and won't be drawn further in, says Alex Vatanka, director of the Iran Program at the Middle East Institute think-tank in Washington.
The Star
6 hours ago
- The Star
Women's rights face 'full-on assault' due to UN and aid funding cuts
FILE PHOTO: A woman takes part in a protest to mark the International Day for the Elimination of Violence Against Women, in Santiago, Chile, November 25, 2024. REUTERS/Sofía Yanjarí/File Photo GENEVA (Reuters) -Four major international reports on women's rights, including recommendations on how to prevent domestic violence and discrimination, will not be published this year, a U.N. document showed, part of what rights groups describe as a broader backlash against gender equality. Voluntary funding for the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) is down $60 million this year due to unpaid contributions and major U.S. foreign aid cuts under President Trump, around 14% of its total income last year. An OHCHR document circulated to member states and reviewed by Reuters shows that 13 human rights reports have been delayed, four of them specifically concerning women, putting off both investigations and discussions on how policies can be improved. "We're silencing policy dialogue," Pooja Patel, Programme Director at the International Service for Human Rights in Geneva, told Reuters. One in four countries reported a backlash on women's rights last year, a U.N. report in March said, something rights groups said made monitoring and recommendations all the more important. "It really does affect the everyday lives of women and girls when these reports and mechanisms are not functioning," said Claire Somerville, a lecturer and Executive Director of the Gender Centre at the Geneva Graduate Institute. Several countries raised concerns at the 59th Session of the Human Rights Council on Tuesday, where the resolution to pause the mandates was passed by consensus. Ecuador warned in a informal HRC meeting in Geneva in June the decision could send the wrong message amidst a "huge backlash" against the rights of women and girls. The OHCHR faced new calls on Tuesday to increase transparency regarding the criteria behind its funding decisions after earlier criticism of its choice to halt the launch of a U.N.-mandated commission investigating suspected human rights violations and war crimes in the Democratic Republic of Congo. U.N. Human Rights Commissioner Volker Turk and his office would provide a comprehensive update on the feasibility of implementing the paused mandates before the next session in September, according to the U.N. document. In a letter seen by Reuters, Turk told Council members the situation was "deeply regrettable" and expressed concern about the impact funding cuts would have on the protection of human rights. In May the leading U.N. agency for gender equality, U.N. Women, reported that 90% of women's rights organizations in crisis-affected countries have been hit by cuts. "They signal a broader de-prioritisation of gender equality at a global level," said Laura Somoggi, Co-CEO of Womanity, a private foundation in Geneva for advancing gender equality. The OHCHR announced on Friday that the next meeting of the Commission on the Elimination of Discrimination Against Women, ongoing since 1979, would not take place due to liquidity issues with future ones "to be confirmed". Somerville called it a "huge setback" among many others. "We can describe this as a full-on assault on gender and the rights of women and girls," she said. (Reporting by Olivia Le Poidevin and Emma Farge in Geneva, editing by Philippa Fletcher)
