
‘I LIKE the infighting': Will Elon Musk's America Party shake up US politics?
Are the Republicans skewing too isolationist?
Is there really a swathe of middle-spectrum American voters just waiting for a new political party to solve all their woes?
Elon Musk thinks so.
When most friendships break down, it usually results in some hurt feelings, a blocked phone number, and an unfollow on social media.
When Elon Musk's friendship with the president broke down, he decided to dismantle the foundations of the US political system.
The South African Tesla boss has vowed to give Americans "independence from the two-party system." He says his America Party will give voters back their freedom. Not surprisingly, his former BFF isn't happy.
Trump responded by saying a third party just doesn't work in the US political system.
And he's right. The two-party system — Democrats versus Republicans — has been in place since 1854.
There has been a smattering of minor parties which, in the past, have contested an election or two… but they've never achieved longevity or real influence.
Musk believes there's a vast, untapped middle ground of American voters — disaffected Republicans and Democrats — who currently feel unrepresented. Is he right?
In this CounterPoints debate, we'll ask:
Would a third party be a good thing for American politics?

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Arab News
19 minutes ago
- Arab News
US senators approve $9 billion of Elon Musk's federal cuts
WASHINGTON: The US Senate approved early Thursday a package of spending cuts proposed by President Donald Trump that would cancel more than $9 billion in funding for foreign aid programs and public broadcasting. The upper chamber of Congress green-lit the measure in what was seen as the first test of how easily lawmakers could usher into law savings sought by Elon Musk's Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) — in the aftermath of the tech mogul's acrimonious exit from the government. Despite the cutbacks' unpopularity in some sections of both parties, the Republican-led Senate passed the measure with 51 votes for and 48 against in a session that went more than two hours past midnight. The version of the text passed in June by the House of Representatives sought to eliminate $400 million in funding allocated to health programs, including the PEPFAR global AIDS relief fund created by then-president George W. Bush. But defunding PEPFAR — which has saved an estimated 26 million lives — was seen as a nonstarter among a handful of moderate Republican senators, and the proposal was dropped. South Carolina Senator Lindsey Graham told AFP the bill was consistent with Trump's promises to cut spending. 'I've been a big fan of the foreign aid accounts... I'm a big hawkish guy, but you need foreign aid. You need soft power,' he said. 'But when you start spending money on a bunch of junk, and liberal programs disconnected from the purpose of the aid package, it makes it difficult on a guy like me.' The bill now goes back to the House for final approval, with lawmakers up against the clock. Congress, which had already allocated the money, has to approve the cuts by Friday or the White House must spend the cash as originally intended. Legislation to claw back money already approved by Congress — known as a 'rescissions package' — is extremely rare, and no such measure has passed in decades. Around a dozen Republicans had voiced concerns about allowing the White House to dictate spending cuts, placing them in the crosshairs of Trump, who last week threatened to withhold his endorsements from any rebels. The vote was the first in what Republicans have touted as a potential series of packages codifying the spending cuts made by DOGE. Musk was tapped by Trump to lead the task force after the tech billionaire spent $290 million helping him get elected. The SpaceX and Tesla boss boasted that he would be able to save $2 trillion in federal spending — but left the White House under a cloud in late May as he feuded with Trump over deficits and spending. DOGE acknowledges that it has saved taxpayers just $190 billion — and fact checkers even see that claim as dubious, given previous inaccuracies in its accounting. The rescissions package slashes around $8 billion in foreign aid, with much of that approved for humanitarian organization USAID, one of DOGE's first targets. Around $1 billion is to be taken back from the Corporation for Public Broadcasting, which helps fund National Public Radio (NPR) and the Public Broadcasting Service (PBS), as well as more than 1,500 local radio and television stations. Conservatives often accuse PBS and NPR of bias, and Trump signed an executive order in May to cease federal funding for both networks. Democrats say cutting the funding will not meaningfully reduce the deficit, but instead dismantle a trusted source of information for millions of Americans. 'It is yet another example of the spirit and ideals of our Constitution being undermined in a terrible way. We are a nation that believes that (Congress) has a real role,' New Jersey Senator Cory Booker told AFP. 'And this is a bunch of my colleagues in thrall of the president, surrendering the powers of us, and the urgency for us to work together and do it in a bipartisan way to improve budgets.'


Asharq Al-Awsat
2 hours ago
- Asharq Al-Awsat
Trump Says Coca-Cola to Switch to Cane Sugar in US
Beverage giant Coca-Cola has agreed to use real cane sugar in its US production, President Donald Trump announced Wednesday on social media. The company currently uses high-fructose corn syrup (HFCS) in its domestic beverages -- a sweetener that has long drawn criticism from Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. and his Make America Healthy Again movement, AFP said. "I have been speaking to Coca-Cola about using REAL Cane Sugar in Coke in the United States, and they have agreed to do so," Trump wrote on his Truth Social platform. "I'd like to thank all of those in authority at Coca-Cola. This will be a very good move by them -- You'll see. It's just better!" The US president did not explain what motivated his push for the change, which would not impact his well-known favorite beverage, Diet Coke. Since his return to the White House, Trump has re-installed a special button in the Oval Office which summons a helping of the sugar-free carbonated drink. Coca-Cola did not immediately confirm the ingredient shift. "We appreciate President Trump's enthusiasm for our iconic Coca‑Cola brand. More details on new innovative offerings within our Coca‑Cola product range will be shared soon," the company said in a short statement. HFCS became popular in the 1970s, with its use skyrocketing thanks to government subsidies for corn growers and high import tariffs on cane sugar. Any shift away from corn is likely to draw backlash in the Corn Belt, a Midwestern region that has been a stronghold of support for Trump. Both HFCS and sucrose (cane sugar) are composed of fructose and glucose. However, they differ structurally: HFCS contains free (unbonded) fructose and glucose in varying ratios -- 55/45 in soft drinks -- while sucrose consists of the two sugars chemically bonded together. These structural differences, however, don't appear to significantly affect health outcomes. A 2022 review of clinical studies found no meaningful differences between HFCS and sucrose in terms of weight gain or heart health. The only notable distinction was an increase in a marker of inflammation in people consuming HFCS. Overall, both sweeteners appear similarly impactful when consumed at equal calorie levels. Despite this, Mexican Coke -- which is made with cane sugar -- is often sold at a premium in US stores and prized for its more "natural" flavor. Trump's prized Diet Coke is sweetened with aspartame -- a compound classified as a "possible carcinogen" by the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC).

Al Arabiya
3 hours ago
- Al Arabiya
EU stalls probe into Elon Musk's X amid trade talks with US
The European Commission has stalled one of its investigations into Elon Musk's social media platform X for breaching its digital transparency rules while it seeks to conclude trade talks with the US, the Financial Times reported on Thursday. The Commission will miss the deadline for finalizing its investigation into X, which was expected to be done before its summer recess, the report said, citing three officials familiar with the matter. A decision was likely to come after clarity emerged in the EU-US trade talks, the report said. Reuters could not immediately confirm the report. The EU and X did not immediately respond to Reuters' requests for comment. EU tech regulators said last year that X breached EU online content rules under the Digital Services Act. Any firm found in breach of the act faces a fine worth up to 6 percent of its global turnover, and repeat offenders may be banned from operating in Europe altogether.