Elon Musk Is Selling His Political Party Like a Tesla
The richest man in the world took to X (formerly Twitter), the platform he owns, early Saturday morning to promote and to articulate the need for The American Party, his newly announced third party aimed at breaking what he calls the 'uniparty' stranglehold of Democrats and Republicans. The move has drawn sharp criticism from supporters of President Donald Trump and the core of the Make America Great Again (MAGA) movement. As of now, Trump has not responded.
'The people want change,' Musk wrote in response to a user who referenced Ross Perot's 1992 presidential run, which despite ending early, still earned nearly 19% of the vote. 'If you keep voting out of fear, we will keep seeing the result of that. Our government won't change if we don't change our thinking,' the user said.
The people want change
— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) July 6, 2025That's the sentiment Musk is banking on. He's now channeling that energy into his own populist rebellion, but with a billionaire's budget and a full social media machine behind it.
Musk's posts made clear he's still fuming over what he sees as fiscal irresponsibility from both parties, but especially from President Donald Trump and the Republicans. That betrayal, he says, is what finally pushed him to walk away.
'The Republican Party has a clean sweep of the executive, legislative and judicial branches and STILL had the nerve to massively increase the size of government,' Musk posted, referencing Trump's recently signed 'One Big Beautiful Bill,' a sprawling budget and tax plan projected to balloon the national deficit. 'Expanding the national debt by a record FIVE TRILLION DOLLARS,' Musk added.
The Republican Party has a clean sweep of the executive, legislative and judicial branches and STILL had the nerve to massively increase the size of government, expanding the national debt by a record FIVE TRILLION DOLLARS …
— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) July 6, 2025When asked directly what triggered his break from Trump, Musk didn't mince words: 'Increasing the deficit from an already insane $2T under Biden to $2.5T. This will bankrupt the country.'
Increasing the deficit from an already insane $2T under Biden to $2.5T.
This will bankrupt the country.
— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) July 5, 2025This marks a stunning reversal for Musk, who donated close to $290 million to support Trump's re-election campaign and served as head of the controversial Department of Government Efficiency, or DOGE. Once a star player in the MAGA orbit, Musk now positions himself as its biggest defector.
Though most of the backlash to The American Party has come from MAGA loyalists, Musk says his movement isn't just for disaffected Republicans. Responding to a user who suggested that the party could 'soak up a lot of the existing Dem base that feels politically homeless / hate extremism,' Musk replied with a simple: '💯'.
💯 https://t.co/8q19ndPfnO
— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) July 6, 2025He's pitching the party as a safe haven for political moderates who've grown frustrated with both the far-right and the far-left. And he's doing it with all the energy of a product launch.
In true Musk fashion, he didn't stop at political philosophy. He started planning the party's first big event. 'When and where should we hold the inaugural American Party congress?' he asked his 222 million followers. 'This will be super fun!'
When & where should we hold the inaugural American Party congress?
This will be super fun! https://t.co/zMaELCiXjU
— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) July 6, 2025His chatbot Grok, developed by his AI company xAI, suggested Austin, Texas—Musk's adopted hometown—as the ideal location. Musk responded, 'Good suggestion,' all but confirming that Austin may host the kickoff rally.
Good suggestion
— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) July 6, 2025Several pro-Musk accounts spread news that The American Party will run candidates in the 2026 midterms. While Musk hasn't confirmed names or races, he has hinted that the focus will be surgical: just a handful of high-impact congressional and Senate contests, enough to sway legislation and send a message.
It's unclear who will carry The American Party's banner, or whether it will make any real impact on a deeply entrenched political system. But what is clear is this: Elon Musk has the platform, the followers, and the money—$361 billion, according to the latest Bloomberg Billionaires Index—to make noise.
Whether it's political theater or the beginning of a real movement, Musk is once again putting himself at the center of America's biggest cultural flashpoints.
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