
Elon Musk says he has created a new US political party
The world's richest person -- and Trump's biggest political donor in the 2024 election -- had a bitter falling out with the president after leading the Republican's effort to slash spending and cut federal jobs as head of the so-called Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE).
Musk has clashed with Trump over the president's massive domestic spending plan, saying it would explode the US debt, and vowed to do everything in his power to defeat lawmakers who voted for it.
Now he has created the so-called America Party, his own political framework, through which to try and achieve that.
"When it comes to bankrupting our country with waste & graft, we live in a one-party system, not a democracy," the Space X and Tesla boss posted on X, the social media platform that he owns.
"Today, the America Party is formed to give you back your freedom."
Hashtags

Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles

The Hindu
14 minutes ago
- The Hindu
Desperate search for missing girls as nearly 80 dead in Texas floods
Rescuers in Texas raced against time Sunday (July 6, 2025) to find dozens of missing people, including children, swept away by flash floods that killed at least 78 people, with forecasters warning of new deluges. U.S. President Donald Trump said he would "probably" visit the southern state on Friday (July 11, 2025). The President brushed off concerns his administration's wide-ranging cuts to weather forecasting and related federal agencies had left local warning systems worse-off. Instead, Mr. Trump described the flash floods as a "100-year catastrophe" that "nobody expected." At least 40 adults and 28 children were killed in the worst-hit Kerr County in central Texas, Sheriff Larry Leitha said, while at least ten more people were killed by flooding in nearby areas. "You will see the death toll rise today," warned Texas public safety chief Freeman Martin at a press conference. "Across the state, in all the areas affected by flooding, there are 41 known missing," Texas Governor Greg Abbott said. More than 20 children were among the dozens confirmed dead following flash floods in central Texas, authorities said, as rescuers continued searching for the missing — Reuters (@Reuters) July 6, 2025 As questions grew about why warnings did not come sooner or people were not evacuated earlier in the area popular with campers, Trump said the situation was a "Biden setup." "That was not our setup," Mr. Trump told reporters on Sunday, adding that he would "not" hire back meteorologists when probed about staff and budget cuts at the National Weather Service (NWS). Asked about whether he would change his plans to phase out the Federal Emergency Management Agency, he responded: "FEMA is something we can talk about later." Mr. Trump, who previously said disaster relief should be handled at the state-level, also signed a major disaster declaration that freed up resources for Texas. Missing girls In central Texas, some 17 helicopters joined the search for missing people, including ten girls and a counselor from a riverside Christian summer camp where about 750 people had been staying when disaster struck. In a terrifying display of nature's power, the rain-swollen waters of the Guadalupe River reached treetops and the roofs of cabins in Camp Mystic as girls slept overnight Friday, washing away some of them and leaving a scene of devastation. Blankets, teddy bears and other belongings at the camp were caked in mud. Windows in the cabins were shattered, apparently by the force of the water. The National Weather Service (NWS) warned Sunday that slow-moving thunderstorms threatened more flash floods over the saturated ground of central Texas. Governor Abbott warned that heavy rainfall could "lead to potential flash flooding" in Kerrville and surrounding areas, as officials warned people against going near the swollen river and its creeks. The flooding began at the start of the Fourth of July holiday weekend as months' worth of rain fell in a matter of hours, much of it coming overnight as people slept. The Guadalupe surged around 26 feet (eight meters) -- more than a two-story building -- in just 45 minutes. Human-driven climate change Flash floods, which occur when the ground is unable to absorb torrential rainfall, are not unusual in this region of south and central Texas, known colloquially as "Flash Flood Alley." Scientists say that in recent years human-driven climate change has made extreme weather events such as floods, droughts and heat waves more frequent and more intense. Officials said while rescue operations were ongoing, they were also starting the process of debris removal. "There's debris all over the place that makes roads impassable, that makes reconstruction projects unachievable," Abbott said. People from elsewhere in Texas converged on Kerr County to help look for the missing. Texans also started flying personal drones to help look but local officials urged them to stop, citing a danger for rescue aircraft. One of the searches focused on four young women who were staying in a house that was washed away by the river. Adam Durda and his wife Amber, both 45, drove three hours to help. "There was a group of 20-year-olds that were in a house that had gotten washed away," Durda told AFP. "That's who the family requested help for, but of course, we're looking for anybody." Justin Morales, 36, was part of a search team that found three bodies, including that of a Camp Mystic girl caught up in a tree. "We're happy to give a family closure and hopefully we can keep looking and find some of the... you know, whoever," he told AFP. "Help give some of those families closure. That's why we're out here."
&w=3840&q=100)

First Post
14 minutes ago
- First Post
Trump says he will ‘probably' visit Texas as flash floods death toll rises to 78, fresh emergency alerts issued
At least 78 people have died in devastating flash floods across Texas, as rescuers race to find dozens still missing, including children. President Donald Trump said he will 'probably' visit the state on Friday. read more A man surveys debris along the Guadalupe River after a flash flood struck the area, Friday, July 4, 2025, in Kerrville, Texas. AP Rescuers in Texas were working urgently on Sunday to find dozens of missing people, including children, who were swept away by flash floods that have killed at least 78 people so far. Forecasters warned that more heavy rain could be on the way. Meanwhile, US President Donald Trump said, aboard Air Force One while returning from his golf vacation, that he would 'probably' visit Texas on Friday. He dismissed concerns that his administration's budget cuts to weather services and federal agencies had weakened local warning systems. Instead, Trump described the floods as a '100-year catastrophe' that 'nobody expected.' STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD In Kerr County, central Texas, at least 40 adults and 28 children have died, Sheriff Larry Leitha said. At least ten more people were killed by flooding in nearby areas. 'You will see the death toll rise today,' warned Texas public safety chief Freeman Martin at a press conference. Across the state, 41 people remain missing in flood-affected areas, according to Texas Governor Greg Abbott. As questions grew about why warnings didn't come sooner or why people weren't evacuated earlier in the popular camping region, Trump blamed the situation on President Biden. 'That was not our setup,' Trump told reporters on Sunday. He also said he would 'not' rehire meteorologists when asked about staff and budget cuts at the National Weather Service (NWS). When asked whether he planned to reverse his decision to phase out the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), Trump replied, 'FEMA is something we can talk about later.' Although Trump has previously argued that disaster relief should be handled at the state level, he signed a major disaster declaration to release federal resources for Texas. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD Missing girls In central Texas, about 17 helicopters joined the search for missing people, including ten girls and a counselor from a Christian summer camp beside the Guadalupe River. About 750 people had been staying at Camp Mystic when the floods hit. In a terrifying scene, the rain-swollen Guadalupe River rose to the treetops and cabin roofs while the girls were sleeping overnight on Friday, sweeping some away and leaving devastation behind.


Indian Express
16 minutes ago
- Indian Express
US tariffs to kick in from August 1 as Trump says America nears trade deals
The United States is close to finalizing several trade agreements with its trading partners in the coming days, and they would inform other countries of higher tariff rates by July 9 while the higher tariff rates are scheduled to take effect on August 1, President Donald Trump said on Sunday, Reuters reported. The Trump administration officials had flagged the August 1 date earlier for the higher tariffs to take effect but it wasn't confirmed if all the tariffs were scheduled to increase from that date. Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick, who was asked to clarify the dates, said increased tariffs would come into effect on August 1, but Trump was 'setting the rates and the deals right now.' In April, Trump had announced a base tariff of 10% on most of America's trading partners and thereafter additional duties ranging up to 50%. However, due to a global financial commotion over the newly announced tariffs, the US president had later delayed the effective date for all but 10% until July 9. The new date of August 1 for higher tariffs to take effect offers countries a three-week reprieve. Trump earlier said that he has signed 12 letters to be sent out likely on Monday. He has repeatedly said that he plans to inform countries of a hike in US tariff rates by sending them letters. Trump, aboard Air Force One on July 4, had said sending notices would be much easier than 'sitting down and working 15 different things…this is what you have to pay, if you want to do business with the United States.' The United States has till now announced trade deals with the United Kingdom, Vietnam and the Trump administration has agreed to temporarily lower high tariffs on Chinese products and vice-versa. US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent told CNN, 'President Trump's going to be sending letters to some of our trading partners saying that if you don't move things along, then on August 1 you will boomerang back to your April 2 tariff level. So I think we're going to see a lot of deals very quickly.'