World's richest man Elon Musk announces new political party, The America Party, after fallout with President Trump
The world's richest man, Elon Musk, has announced that he has formed a new US political party, 'The America Party'.
Musk has indicated the party's platform will include reducing debt, modernising the military with AI and robotics, deregulation in energy, free speech and pro-natalism.
It comes after Musk promised to form the new party amid his opposition to US President Donald Trump's 'Big Beautiful Bill'.
A day after asking his followers whether he should form the political party, Musk announced it on his social media platform X.
"By a factor of 2 to 1, you want a new political party and you shall have it!" he said in a post on X.
"Today, the America Party is formed to give you back your freedom." — Elon Musk (@elonmusk) July 5, 2025
The announcement from Musk comes after President Trump signed a tax-cut and spending bill into law on Friday, which the billionaire had fiercely opposed.
Musk spent hundreds of millions on Trump's re-election and led the Department of Government Efficiency under the Trump administration.
The former friends have since fallen out over disagreements surrounding the Big Beautiful Bill.
President Trump earlier this week threatened to cut off the billions of dollars in subsidies that Musk's companies receive from the federal government.
Musk said previously that he would start a new political party and spend money to unseat lawmakers who supported the bill.
Republicans have expressed concern that Musk's on-again, off-again feud with Trump could hurt their chances to protect their majority in the 2026 midterm congressional elections.
Sky News / Reuters
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Sydney Morning Herald
23 minutes ago
- Sydney Morning Herald
The Australia-first words that Sussan Ley says are a threat to the US relationship
But with Albanese now unable to secure a face-to-face meeting with US President Donald Trump, even as the AUKUS defence pact is being reviewed by the Pentagon and Australia is lobbying for exemptions to US tariffs, Sussan Ley argued it was the wrong time to inch away from the US. 'At a time of global uncertainty, growing conflict and a growing list of issues in the Australia-United States relationship, now is a time to build our influence in Washington, not diminish it,' she said in a statement. 'Many Australians will wonder whether this speech at this time was in our national interest, given so many things crucial to Australia's future are currently being considered by the US administration.' The AUKUS defence pact is a trilateral agreement with the United States and United Kingdom that will allow Australia to acquire nuclear submarine capabilities. James Laurenceson, director of the Australia-China Relations Institute at the University of Technology Sydney, said that since John Howard it was unusual for Australian prime ministers to speak positively about a more independent foreign policy not tied solely to US interests. Loading 'It's not entirely inconsistent with where Albanese has been headed,' Laurenceson said, pointing to remarks from Trade Minister Don Farrell about growing trade with China following Trump's tariffs. Laurenceson said Albanese would be confident that the Australian public was comfortable with his coming meeting with Xi occurring before a face-to-face with Trump, pointing to polling showing Trump's unpopularity in Australia. Coalition trade spokesman Kevin Hogan said on Sky News on Sunday that 'it is embarrassing' Albanese had not yet met Trump. Sydney University international affairs historian James Curran said there was a contradiction in putting a spotlight on sovereignty at a time when Australia was tying itself more firmly into US military framework through the AUKUS submarine pact. He said Albanese's speech was significant because it came at a time when the US was pressuring allies to boost defence spending and contain a rising power in China. 'While it's not a new strategic doctrine, it is saying that there are times when Australia has to determine its own destiny,' Curran said. 'After the best part of two decades, in which the culture of the alliance has been awash in the sentimental claptrap of '100 years of mateship', it's not necessarily a bad thing for the loose cannons in the Trump administration – who are perhaps getting used to allies capitulating – to hear an Australian PM saying that, from time to time, Australia needs to express itself differently.' During the election campaign, Albanese and his ministers used Trump's haphazard approach to discredit the Peter Dutton-led Coalition, whose policy agenda and style had similarities with the US president's.
The Age
28 minutes ago
- The Age
The Australia-first words that Sussan Ley says are a threat to the US relationship
But with Albanese now unable to secure a face-to-face meeting with US President Donald Trump, even as the AUKUS defence pact is being reviewed by the Pentagon and Australia is lobbying for exemptions to US tariffs, Sussan Ley argued it was the wrong time to inch away from the US. 'At a time of global uncertainty, growing conflict and a growing list of issues in the Australia-United States relationship, now is a time to build our influence in Washington, not diminish it,' she said in a statement. 'Many Australians will wonder whether this speech at this time was in our national interest, given so many things crucial to Australia's future are currently being considered by the US administration.' The AUKUS defence pact is a trilateral agreement with the United States and United Kingdom that will allow Australia to acquire nuclear submarine capabilities. James Laurenceson, director of the Australia-China Relations Institute at the University of Technology Sydney, said that since John Howard it was unusual for Australian prime ministers to speak positively about a more independent foreign policy not tied solely to US interests. Loading 'It's not entirely inconsistent with where Albanese has been headed,' Laurenceson said, pointing to remarks from Trade Minister Don Farrell about growing trade with China following Trump's tariffs. Laurenceson said Albanese would be confident that the Australian public was comfortable with his coming meeting with Xi occurring before a face-to-face with Trump, pointing to polling showing Trump's unpopularity in Australia. Coalition trade spokesman Kevin Hogan said on Sky News on Sunday that 'it is embarrassing' Albanese had not yet met Trump. Sydney University international affairs historian James Curran said there was a contradiction in putting a spotlight on sovereignty at a time when Australia was tying itself more firmly into US military framework through the AUKUS submarine pact. He said Albanese's speech was significant because it came at a time when the US was pressuring allies to boost defence spending and contain a rising power in China. 'While it's not a new strategic doctrine, it is saying that there are times when Australia has to determine its own destiny,' Curran said. 'After the best part of two decades, in which the culture of the alliance has been awash in the sentimental claptrap of '100 years of mateship', it's not necessarily a bad thing for the loose cannons in the Trump administration – who are perhaps getting used to allies capitulating – to hear an Australian PM saying that, from time to time, Australia needs to express itself differently.' During the election campaign, Albanese and his ministers used Trump's haphazard approach to discredit the Peter Dutton-led Coalition, whose policy agenda and style had similarities with the US president's.
News.com.au
41 minutes ago
- News.com.au
Israeli negotiators due in Qatar for Gaza truce talks
An Israeli delegation was expected in Doha on Sunday for talks on a Gaza truce and hostage release deal, ahead of a visit by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to the White House. Netanyahu had earlier announced he was sending a team to Qatar, a key mediator in the conflict, though he said that Hamas's response to a draft US-backed ceasefire deal included some "unacceptable" demands. Faced with mounting calls to end the war that is nearing its 22nd month, Netanyahu is due to meet on Monday with US President Donald Trump, who has been making a renewed push to end the fighting. On Saturday, protesters gathered in Israel's coastal hub of Tel Aviv for a weekly rally demanding the return of hostages still in the Gaza Strip since Hamas's October 7, 2023 attack that triggered the war. Macabit Mayer, the aunt of captives Gali and Ziv Berman, called for a deal "that saves everyone". Hamas said Friday it was ready "to engage immediately and seriously" in negotiations. A statement from Netanyahu's office said that "the changes that Hamas is seeking to make in the Qatari proposal... are unacceptable to Israel", while also sending negotiators to discuss "the Qatari proposal that Israel has agreed to". On the ground, Gaza's civil defence agency said 14 people were killed by Israeli forces on Sunday. Media restrictions in Gaza and difficulties in accessing many areas mean AFP is unable to independently verify the tolls and details provided by the civil defence agency. Contacted by AFP, the Israeli military said it could not comment on specific strikes without precise coordinates. - 60-day truce - Hamas has not publicly detailed its responses to the US-sponsored proposal, which was transmitted by mediators from Qatar and Egypt. Two Palestinian sources close to the discussions told AFP the proposal included a 60-day truce, during which Hamas would release 10 living hostages and several bodies in exchange for Palestinians detained by Israel. However, they said, the group was also demanding certain conditions for Israel's withdrawal, guarantees against a resumption of fighting during negotiations, and the return of the UN-led aid distribution system. Since the Hamas attack sparked a massive Israeli offensive with the aim of destroying the group, mediators have brokered two temporary halts in fighting, during which hostages were freed in exchange for Palestinian prisoners in Israeli custody. Of the 251 hostages taken by Palestinian militants during the October 2023 attack, 49 are still held in Gaza, including 27 the Israeli military says are dead. The Egyptian foreign ministry said Saturday that top diplomat Badr Abdelatty held a phone call with Washington's main representative in the truce talks, Steve Witkoff, to discuss "preparations for holding indirect meetings between the two parties concerned to reach an agreement". But recent efforts to broker a new truce have repeatedly failed, with the primary point of contention being Israel's rejection of Hamas's demand for a lasting ceasefire. The war has created dire humanitarian conditions for the more than two million people in the Gaza Strip. - 'Dying for flour' - Karima al-Ras, from Khan Yunis in southern Gaza, said "we hope that a truce will be announced" to allow in more aid. "People are dying for flour," she said. A US- and Israel-backed group, the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation, took the lead in food distribution in the territory in late May, when Israel partially lifted a more than two-month blockade on aid deliveries. UN agencies and major aid groups have refused to cooperate with the GHF over concerns it was designed to cater to Israeli military objectives. UN human rights office spokeswoman Ravina Shamdasani said Friday that more than 500 people have been killed waiting to access food from GHF distribution points. The Hamas attack of October 2023 resulted in the deaths of 1,219 people, mostly civilians, according to an AFP tally based on Israeli official figures. Israel's retaliatory campaign has killed at least 57,338 people in Gaza, also mostly civilians, according to the Hamas-run territory's health ministry. The United Nations considers the figures reliable.
