Gov. Ron DeSantis warns Elon Musk about running ‘America Party' candidates against GOP: ‘Democrats would win'
'I think Washington needs to be overhauled 100%, but I just don't think a third party is going to do it,' DeSantis said at a press conference in Jacksonville, referring to Musk's intention to launch the cost-cutting focused 'America Party.'
The Sunshine State governor and former GOP presidential primary candidate warned that if Musk-backed candidates vie against Republicans in competitive state races, Democrats will be the ones winning elections.
'The problem is, when you do another party, especially if you're running on some of the issues that he talks about, you know, that would end up, if he funds Senate candidates and House candidates in competitive races, that would likely end up meaning the Democrats would win all the competitive Senate and House races,' DeSantis, 46, said.
'I'm a Republican … I don't want to see that happen,' he added.
3 Gov. DeSantis suggested that Musk should focus his political efforts on getting a balanced budget amendment added to the Constitution.
Getty Images
DeSantis weighed in on Musk's effort to launch an alternative to the two-party system at the end of a nearly hour-long press conference on education. The governor's remarks were not prompted by reporters.
DeSantis praised the Tesla, SpaceX, Starlink and X chief as 'one of the most innovative entrepreneurs … probably in world history' and said he appreciated Musk's efforts to help President Trump and Republicans ahead of the 2024 election and rein in government waste, fraud and abuse as head of the Department of Government Efficiency.
'I think he's got a lot more left in the tank,' he said, suggesting that Musk should support efforts to add balanced budget and term limit amendments to the Constitution, rather than start a new party.
3 Musk has Trump's agenda bill for the amount of money it adds to the deficit.
REUTERS
3 Musk announced the name of his new political party on Saturday.
REUTERS
'Honestly, if you're concerned about the debt … I don't think just electing a few better people is going to change the trajectory,' DeSantis argued. 'We need the incentives in Washington that are going to lead to these outcomes really regardless of the outcome of elections at this point.'
The governor noted that dozens of states, under Article V of the Constitution, have formally petitioned Congress to draft a balanced budget amendment, and argued that if Musk were to support those efforts, he would have a 'monumental impact.'
'I'm a believer in trying to work this stuff out through the Republican process … but I think even more than that, doing these amendments — which are within our grasp — it doesn't require Congress,' DeSantis said.
'You can do it through Article V and do it through the states … that would have a huge impact on the trajectory of the country.'
Musk announced the formation of the America Party in response to GOP lawmakers passing the One Big Beautiful Bill Act, which Trump signed into law on July 4.
The megabill is set to add $3.9 trillion to the nation's debt over the next 10 years, according to the Committee for a Responsible Federal Budget.
Musk, 54, has fumed that the legislation makes a 'mockery of the work' done by his DOGE team to rein in the deficit.
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Hamilton Spectator
27 minutes ago
- Hamilton Spectator
Iranian mother released from ICE detention after Republican House Majority Leader intervenes
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'When she was picked up, we looked at it and said, 'Are they really looking at it the right way, objectively?'' Scalise told WDSU. 'And so they took a second look at it.' Scalise's intervention was 'absolutely crucial' to behind-the-scenes advocacy to secure Kashanian's release, her attorney Ken Mayeaux told The Associated Press. What happens next for Kashanian's legal status is still being worked out, he added. Scalise's office did not respond to a request for comment from The AP. Kashanian had been a 'devoted mother and wife, a caretaker, neighbor and dedicated volunteer' with Habitat for Humanity, her local school district and other organizations, said Rep. Stephanie Hilferty, a Republican who represents Kashanian's community. More than 100 of Kashanian's neighbors wrote letters of support for her, which Hilferty told AP she and Scalise had shared with President Donald Trump's administration. 'She's just been an incredible volunteer and servant to our Lakeview community, everybody knows her because of all she gives and does,' said Connie Uddo, a neighbor of Kashanian's who leads the NOLA Tree Project where Kashanian and husband have volunteered for years. Some neighbors wrote letters addressed to Trump expressing support for his immigration policies but saying that some people like Kashanian were being detained improperly and urging him to reconsider her case. Kashanian had arrived in the U.S. in 1978 on a student visa and unsuccessfully applied for asylum based on her father's support of the U.S.-backed shah. ICE New Orleans said in a June post on X that Kashanian had failed to depart the U.S. after the Board of Immigration Appeals upheld a deportation order in 1992. 'She was ordered by a judge to depart the U.S. and didn't,' the agency said. 'Shouldn't be a surprise we came knocking.' But Kashanian was allowed to remain with her husband and child as long as she checked in regularly with immigration authorities, her family said. For decades, she had 'faithfully and fully complied with those terms,' said Mayeaux, her attorney. She even managed to check in with authorities while displaced by Hurricane Katrina. Russell Milne, Kashanian's husband, told AP his family was 'extremely grateful' for all the support from their community and elected officials. Kashanian met her husband while bartending as a student in the late 1980s. She volunteered with Habitat for Humanity, filmed Persian cooking tutorials on YouTube and doted on the neighboring children. 'She's meeting her obligations,' Milne told AP following her detention. 'She's retirement age. She's not a threat. Who picks up a grandmother?' The U.S. Department of Homeland Security did not immediately provide comment on Kashanian's release. 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Report for America is a nonprofit national service program that places journalists in local newsrooms to report on undercovered issues. Error! Sorry, there was an error processing your request. There was a problem with the recaptcha. Please try again. You may unsubscribe at any time. By signing up, you agree to our terms of use and privacy policy . This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google privacy policy and terms of service apply. Want more of the latest from us? Sign up for more at our newsletter page .
29 minutes ago
What would it take for Elon Musk to create a new political party in America?
On the heels of the Fourth of July -- and amid his feud with President Donald Trump and congressional Republicans over the president's tax policy bill -- tech billionaire Elon Musk announced plans for a brand new political party, dubbed "America Party," to represent what he called "the 80% in the middle." Musk, who recently left his temporary government post as the head of the Department of Government Efficiency, told his X followers that his new party will "give you back your freedom." In a series of posts over the weekend, Musk said his party would use "extremely concentrated force at a precise location on the battlefield" to target "2 or 3 Senate seats and 8 to 10 House districts," which he believes "would be enough to serve as the deciding vote on contentious laws." So what would it take for Musk to launch his third-party effort? Here's an overview. Getting on the ballot To start, Musk would have to get his party on the ballots in the states where he wants to compete -- each with its own process for qualifying. In many states -- including Kentucky, where the race to fill retiring Republican Sen. Mitch McConnell's open seat in 2026 is heating up -- a party-designated candidate must win a nomination from a state-recognized political party that has received a certain percentage of votes in the previous presidential election -- or else a candidate has to run as an independent or a write-in candidate. In other states, the America Party's name itself could present a problem -- like in New York, where state law prohibits political parties from having the word "American," or any part of it, as part of their party names, according to Election Law Blog. Bankrolling these state-level efforts would take significant resources. Experts would be needed to navigate each state's election laws and political systems in order to identify and nominate promising candidates, and canvassers would have to gather thousands to tens of thousands of signatures for each candidate to get them on the ballot. Traditionally, candidates and their parties spearhead these operations, working together to strategize signature-gathering, voter registration, and campaign fundraising and spending. But Musk's America Party is unlikely to become a certified political party anytime soon, because the Federal Election Commission, which reviews political organizations' qualification as political parties, has not been in quorum to do so since a commissioner resigned in April, leaving the agency with just three commissioners. FEC commissioners can only be appointed by President Trump himself. It's not yet clear if Musk has filed any paperwork for his America Party, and an FEC spokesperson declined to comment on whether the agency has received any paperwork from Musk's team. Going the PAC route Faced with the long odds of gaining party certification, some election experts say that Musk, at least for the time being, could focus on House and Senate candidates through a super PAC. That's because ballot access for congressional races is governed by the states -- not the federal government -- so the America Party could still put its designated candidates on the ballot without the FEC's certification, as long as they pass state qualifications. And because super PACs are unconstrained by fundraising or spending limits, an America Party super PAC could be funded by unlimited donations from supporters including Musk himself, and could independently spend an unlimited amount of money in support of its candidates. The only catch is that super PACs are unable to work directly with campaigns the way FEC-certified political parties can -- but election lawyer Matt Sanderson of Caplin and Drysdale told ABC News that the efficiency of a super PAC can actually outweigh the advantages of a political party. "Form a super PAC, just call yourselves a political party -- that's not against the rules. The FEC blessing is not needed," said Sanderson, who was legal counsel for the No Labels movement during the 2024 election. "I actually don't think it makes a lick of sense in this day and age to try to form yourself as a national party committee." "They can call themselves whatever they want," Sanderson said, explaining that the FEC doesn't prohibit a super PAC from calling itself a political party as long as it doesn't coordinate directly with campaigns. "Just skip right past this very cumbersome and not-all-that-beneficial process, hold themselves out as a political party, and move forward." Joining forces Additionally, Musk could enlist the help of existing third parties, like the Libertarian Party or the Green Party. However, third parties historically have had little success in gaining office in the United States. During the 2024 election, the centrist group No Labels led a third-party presidential movement but ended its efforts months before the Republican and Democratic national conventions, after failing to find their candidate before their self-imposed deadline. Longstanding Libertarian Party nominee Chase Oliver ran in the 2024 presidential race but received less than 0.5% of the total vote. Still, a possible collaboration could be in the works: Musk has been in touch with one-time Democratic presidential candidate Andrew Yang, who in recent days has spearheaded a third party centrist effort of his own, a source familiar with the matter confirmed to ABC News. Caleb Burns, an election lawyer at Wiley Rein, acknowledged the potential significance of obtaining an official party status through the FEC instead of bypassing that step with a super PAC -- stressing the role of a political party as a "brand for politicians." "The success of any new political party will turn on whether there are sufficient candidates -- and, by extension, members of the public -- interested in aligning with that new brand," Burns said. "If the answer is yes, then it makes sense to do everything possible to enhance and promote that brand -- which means proceeding with the organizational and legal burdens necessary to create and formalize a new political party." "The critical predicate, however, is the political question of whether or not there is sufficient interest in a new brand of politician," Burns said. "For that, it seems we will have to wait and see what Mr. Musk concludes."
New York Post
31 minutes ago
- New York Post
Biden's handlers scrambled to change his personal number after journalist reached him on his cell, new book claims
Former President Joe Biden's team panicked after a reporter reached out to Biden on his personal cell for an interview and hurriedly changed the president's number, according to a new book released Tuesday. In '2024: How Trump Retook the White House and the Democrats Lost America,' New York Times reporter Tyler Pager described how he reached out directly to Biden on his cell phone in March to see if he would be willing to be interviewed for the book, which he co-authored alongside reporters Josh Dawsey and Isaac Arnsdorf. Biden reportedly picked up and said he would be available to speak with Pager the next day. He answered a few questions the following morning before he had to cut the conversation short to catch a train. Biden told Pager he had a 'very negative' view of President Donald Trump's second term and didn't 'see anything he's done that's been productive.' He also said he didn't regret dropping out of the 2024 race. 'No, not now. I don't spend a lot of time on regrets,' he told Pager before hanging up to get on the train. 3 US President Joe Biden takes a phone call as he walks to board Marine One from the South Lawn of the White House in Washington, DC, on August 16, 2024. AFP via Getty Images After the first call, Pager was flooded with calls and text messages from Biden aides, who were 'freaking out' that he had obtained the president's personal number, he told podcast host Kara Swisher on Monday. After the interview, the reporter soon discovered his own number had been blocked by Biden's team. Two days later, Biden's number had been disconnected. 'This is why they lost,' Swisher said in response to Pager's story. A spokesperson for Biden did not immediately respond to a request for comment from Fox News Digital. 3 Tyler Pager shares details of a call with Joe Biden during the On with Kara Swisher podcast. On with Kara Swisher The book's revelations mirror those in others released this year about the 2024 election and the Biden presidency, which detail his alleged mental deterioration in office and how his inner circle fiercely protected him from the media. '2024' follows Jake Tapper and Alex Thompson's book, 'Original Sin: President Biden's Decline, Its Cover-up, and His Disastrous Choice to Run Again,' released in May; 'Fight: Inside the Wildest Battle for the White House,' by Jonathan Allen and Amie Parnes; and 'Uncharted: How Trump Beat Biden, Harris, and the Odds in the Wildest Campaign in History' by Chris Whipple, both released in April. 3 Joe Biden seen leaving hot spot Nobu in Malibu after sushi dinner with son Hunter, grandson and others. 03 Jul 2025. APEX / MEGA Allegations that the president's team 'covered up' Biden's mental decline from the public while he was in office have spurred a House Oversight Committee probe into the matter, backed by the Trump administration. Nine former senior White House officials are expected to testify in the coming weeks. A representative for Biden declined to comment. A former Biden speechwriter balked at Pager in a post on X, writing, 'Is the implication here supposed to be that it's normal and important for any journalist to have the personal cell phone number of the president — and if you can't call POTUS directly whenever you'd like, it's a sign of insularity? Because that strikes me as… insane.'
