Musk Announces New America Party Is Formed Amid Trump Split
'By a factor of two to one, you want a new political party and you shall have it! When it comes to bankrupting our country with waste and graft, we live in a one-party system, not a democracy,' Musk said via his social media platform, X, on Saturday, a day after Trump signed the bill. 'Today, the America Party is formed to give you back your freedom.'
The Tesla CEO had opened a poll on July 4, Independence Day, asking his more than 220 million followers if he should create the new political party. Over 65% of the more than 1.2 million respondents voted 'yes.'
Read More: Musk Renews Promise to Start New Rival Political Party as Trump Debates Deporting Him
Musk went on to share his potential strategy for 'gaining independence from the two-party system,' arguing that he might try to 'laser-focus on just two or three Senate seats and eight to 10 House districts' for his party.
'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 elaborated.
But as for what exactly Musk plans to do with his rival third party is largely open for discussion. Musk has yet to share any specific proposed policies or explicitly state what the core tenets of his party would be.Here's what we do—and don't—know about Musk's vision for the America Party and how it came to be.
What do we know of the America Party's proposed policies?
When Musk floated the idea of creating a new political party in early June amid the very public fracturing of his relationship with Trump, his one-time ally, Musk after conducting a poll said: 'The people have spoken. A new political party is needed in America to represent the 80% in the middle!' He appeared to be referring to those who may not feel seen or represented by either the Republican Party or Democratic Party.
Musk, the country's biggest Republican donor, is seemingly committed to campaigning against any Republicans who showed support and voted for the Big, Beautiful Bill that he so vehemently opposes.
'Every member of Congress who campaigned on reducing government spending and then immediately voted for the biggest debt increase in history should hang their head in shame!' Musk said on June 30. 'And they will lose their primary next year if it is the last thing I do on this Earth.'
If he so desired, Musk could target pivotal congressional seats in an effort to turn them and thus potentially have the upper hand during votes on key matters. He seemingly referenced this plan with his July 4 post about establishing a 'laser-focus on just two or three Senate seats and eight to 10 House districts.'
Musk did not elaborate or specify which seats would be at the center of his focus.
While Musk has yet to share an actual policy platform for his party, he has reposted and responded affirmatively to some of his X followers' posts about what the platform could be. What appears to be on the docket is a platform that prioritizes cuts on debt and excess spending within the government, similar to what Musk pushed for during his time in the White House.
One of Musk's followers asked: 'Is this the America Party platform?' They went on to list the following stances:
In response, Musk said 'yeah!' and went on to repost the list to his millions of followers, but stopped short of providing his own official policy plan.
Read More: Trump's 'Big, Beautiful Bill' Faces Opposition From Musk and Some Republicans as Senate Narrowly Votes to Advance It
Musk's split from Trump and the Republican Party
Though Musk had voted Democrat previously, he played a vital role for the Republican Party when he became the largest donor of the 2024 presidential race, predominantly funding Trump's campaign but also financially backing other Republicans via his super political action committee (PAC) titled America PAC.
Musk became a close ally of Trump's and appeared at major campaign rallies with him, addressing large crowds and urging them to vote for Trump. As a sign of their close working relationship, Trump appointed Musk as the lead of DOGE, a role he held until May. During his tenure, Musk became known for actualizing Trump's vision of cutting 'waste' in the government, which amounted to laying off thousands of federal employees.
But Musk and Trump's relationship soured, especially after the former took a public stance against the spending bill.
'I think a bill can be big or it could be beautiful,' Musk told CBS News in May, shortly before he announced his DOGE departure. 'But I don't know if it could be both.'
Going a step further in early June, Musk said the 'massive, outrageous, pork-filled Congressional spending bill is a disgusting abomination' and told his millions of followers to 'call your Senator, call your Congressman… kill the bill!'
Musk and Trump engaged in an all-out war of words, exchanging jabs and lobbying threats—with Trump threatening to take away the government contracts for Musk's companies, including the SpaceX firm that has become a critical player for NASA. Trump has repeatedly claimed that the falling out stemmed from Musk being unhappy over changes to the Electric Vehicle [EV] mandate.
Tensions reignited once more when Musk renewed his calls for the policy bill not to be passed.
When asked by reporters on July 1 if he was planning to deport Musk, who has U.S. and South African citizenship, Trump replied: 'I don't know, we'll have to take a look.'
'We might have to put DOGE on Elon. The monster that might have to go back and eat Elon. Wouldn't that be terrible?' Trump said, appearing to refer to the contracts and subsidies that Musk's prominent businesses have from the federal government.
Read More: Musk Floats Idea of Starting New Rival Political Party—and Even Names It—Amid Trump Feud
A third party has never been able to thrive in America's two-party system
Though Musk is looking to build a viable, competitive third party, it requires more than an X poll to actualize it in the U.S.. In fact, many have tried before.
Two major parties—Democratic and Republican—have dominated U.S. politics and no third party in recent memory has been able to penetrate the two-party system in a meaningful way.
Former 2020 Democratic presidential primary candidate Andrew Yang has pushed for representation beyond the two-party system, but has arguably encountered limited success with his Forward Party.
In June, Yang expressed a keenness to join forces with Musk, seemingly hoping that the two of them may have a stronger chance of succeeding.
'Elon has built world-class companies from nothing more than an idea multiple times, and in this instance, you have the vast majority of Americans who are hungry for a new approach,' Yang said in an interview with Politico. 'I'm happy to spell it out for Elon, or anyone else who wants to head down this road. A third party can succeed very quickly.'
Part of the reason third parties struggle is due to the U.S.' 'winner takes all' system in the Electoral College. 48 out of the 50 States award Electoral votes on a winner-takes-all basis (so does the District of Columbia).
This makes voting for third party candidates difficult. For example, support for the Tea Party held strong at 24% according to polls in the 2010s, though they rarely held significant political power, since the Republicans were often fearful of splitting votes in races with narrow margins, which would have risked giving the election to Democratic candidates.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
The Hill
21 minutes ago
- The Hill
Australia to reduce US beef import restrictions denounced by Trump as a ban
MELBOURNE, Australia (AP) — Australia will reduce restrictions on U.S. beef imports after U.S. President Donald Trump criticized what he described as an Australian ban on the meat, Agriculture Minister Julie Collins said. Collins said Thursday that relaxing the restrictions designed to keep Australia free of mad cow disease, also known as bovine spongiform encephalopathy or BSE, among its cattle herds would not compromise biosecurity. 'Australia stands for open and free trade — our cattle industry has significantly benefited from this,' Collins said in a statement. Australia has allowed imports of beef grown in the United States since 2019. But Australia has not allowed imports from the U.S. of beef sourced from Canada or Mexico because of the disease risk. But the U.S. has recently introduced additional movement controls that identify and trace all cattle from Mexico and Canada to their farms of origin. US cattle import controls satisfy Australian authorities Australian authorities were 'satisfied the strengthened control measures put in place by the U.S. effectively manage biosecurity risks,' Collins said. The timing of the new, reduced restrictions has not been finalized. Trump attacked Australian import restrictions on U.S. beef when he announced in April that tariffs of at least 10% would be placed on Australian imports, with steel and aluminum facing a 50% tariff. 'Australia bans — and they're wonderful people, and wonderful everything — but they ban American beef,' Trump told reporters then. 'Yet we imported $3 billion of Australian beef from them just last year alone. They won't take any of our beef. They don't want it because they don't want it to affect their farmers and, you know, I don't blame them, but we're doing the same thing right now,' Trump added. Lawmaker fears appeasing Trump endangers Australian cattle industry Opposition lawmaker David Littleproud suspected the government was endangering Australia's cattle industry to appease Trump. 'I want to see the science and it should be predicated on science. I'm suspicious of the speed at which this has been done,' Littleproud told reporters. 'We need to give confidence to the industry, but also to you (the public): this is not just about animal welfare, this is about human welfare, this is about BSE potentially coming into this country and having a human impact, so I think it's important the government's very transparent about the science and I don't think it's even beyond the question to have an independent panel review that science to give confidence to everybody,' he added. Around 70% of Australian beef is exported. Producers fear that export market would vanish overnight if diseases including mad cow or foot-and-mouth disease infected Australian cattle. Will Evans, chief executive of Cattle Australia who represents more than 52,000 grass-fed beef producers across the nation, said he was confident the agriculture department had taken a cautious approach toward U.S. imports. 'The department's undertaken a technical scientific assessment and we have to put faith in them. They've made this assessment themselves. They've said: 'We've looked at this, we've looked at the best science, this is a decision that we feel comfortable with,'' Evans told the Australian Broadcasting Corp. 'When you have a 75 billion (Australian dollar, $50 billion) industry relying on them not making this mistake, I'm sure they've been very cautious in their decision-making,' he added. US beef prices rise because of drought and a domestic cattle shortage Beef prices have been rising in the U.S. due to factors that include drought and shrinking domestic herd numbers. The average price of a pound of ground beef in the U.S. rose to $6.12 in June, up nearly 12% from a year ago, according to U.S. government data. The average price of all uncooked beef steaks rose 8% to $11.49 per pound. Australia's opposition to any U.S. tariffs will be high on the agenda when Prime Minister Anthony Albanese secures his first face-to-face meeting with Trump. Albanese and Trump were to hold a one-on-one meeting on the sidelines of a Group of Seven summit in Canada last month, but the U.S. president left early. Albanese expects the pair will meet this year, although no date has been announced. The two countries have had a bilateral free trade deal for 20 years and the U.S. has maintained a trade surplus with Australia for decades.
CNBC
22 minutes ago
- CNBC
World's largest olive oil producer warns U.S. consumers of a double whammy from Trump tariffs
Spain's Deoleo, the world's largest olive oil producer, says U.S. President Donald Trump's threat to impose 30% tariffs on imports from the European Union could translate into higher prices for U.S. consumers — as well as limited access to a superfood staple. Trump has threatened to raise tariffs on the 27-member bloc from Aug. 1, in what would mark a steep jump from the current 10% duty. The EU has long been scrambling to reach a trade deal with the U.S. and is considering its options ahead of Trump's deadline, including the prospect of countermeasures. Huge uncertainty persists over whether the U.S. and EU can strike a deal over the coming days, although a blockbuster framework agreement between the U.S. and Japan has raised hopes of a breakthrough. Deoleo, the maker of household olive oil brands such as Bertolli and Carbonell, told CNBC that the Trump administration's trade measures could have an impact on American consumers, particularly given limited U.S. production. "It is worth noting that approximately 95% of the olive oil consumed in the U.S. is imported, so such policies will affect end users," Deoleo CEO Cristóbal Valdés told CNBC by email. The Spanish company said the U.S. accounts for more than a quarter of its total revenue, making it a strategically important market. Around 40,000 acres (16,187 hectares) of olives are planted exclusively in the U.S. for olive oil production, according to the American Olive Oil Producers Association. By comparison, the EU is known to be the leading producer, consumer and exporter of olive oil, with roughly 4 million hectares (9.88 million acres) dedicated to the cultivation of olive trees across the region. Most of the world's supply of olive oil comes from the Mediterranean, with southern European countries such as Spain, Italy and Greece among the world's leading producers of the precious commodity. Spain, in particular, is the biggest olive oil producer in the EU and a global reference for prices. As part of its preparation for a higher tariffs rate, Deoleo's Valdés said the company intends to ramp up its communication, marketing and consumer engagement efforts to ensure olive oil remains an everyday staple. "Beyond institutional dialogue, we are strengthening our value proposition in the U.S. through consumer awareness campaigns about the benefits of olive oil and a renewed commitment to our brands—especially Bertolli, which today represents trust and consistency for American consumers," Valdés said. Deoleo's chief executive also said the olive oil producer would continue to keep all strategic options open, while working on logistics and supply chain improvements to respond to different market scenarios. "However, beyond tactical decisions, our main priority is to protect American consumers' access to a food product that is essential to their health. Access to olive oil should not be penalized — it should be promoted," Valdés said. As U.S. tariffs on EU goods first came into effect in early April, analysts at commodity data firm Expana warned that a reduction in U.S. olive oil imports could have "serious repercussions" for the global market. They cited market players as saying that such a shift could create a supply glut in the EU, leading to further downward price pressure and intensifying competition among producers. It's not just olive oil exporters that have been rattled by Trump's latest tariff threats, however. Irish whiskey firms, Italian cheesemakers and French wine producers are among those who have sounded the alarm over the potential impact.
Bloomberg
22 minutes ago
- Bloomberg
Philippine Ambassador to the US on Trade Deal
Philippine Ambassador to the US Jose Manuel Romualdez discusses his outlook after President Trump announced a trade deal with Philippine that will impose 19% tariff on imports. He speaks with David Ingles and Yvonne Man on "Bloomberg: the China Show." (Source: Bloomberg)
