Latest news with #TheAmericaParty
The Guardian
09-07-2025
- Automotive
- The Guardian
Does Elon Musk's new political party need its own Donald Trump?
Hello, and welcome to TechScape. This week in tech news, Elon Musk and Donald Trump are back at it, warring over the passage of the president's sweeping tax bill and the Tesla CEO's threat to create a third political party. Whether the richest person in the world is successful in those efforts will largely depend on the recruitment of another star politician. In other news, we want to know if you use generative artificial intelligence to write your personal messages – in what circumstances, and how often? Email to let us know. Elon Musk and Donald Trump have reignited their feud after the passage of the president's sweeping tax bill on 3 July. Musk has been campaigning (tweeting) against the 'abomination' of legislation for weeks, which passed in spite of him. Division over the bill was the cause of their initial breakup in early June. Musk has threatened to start a new centrist political party, and over the weekend, he made signs that he would follow through on his ultimatums to create 'The America Party'. Trump responded with a lengthy post on Truth Social calling Musk a 'TRAIN WRECK' that had gone 'off the rails' and saying that third parties had never succeeded in the US, so Musk's idea was 'ridiculous'. Tesla's share price fell sharply in response to the news. What would Musk's America party do besides troll Democrats and Republicans? Likely try to primary Republicans who voted for the bill. From my colleague Ramon Antonio Vargas: The new party that Elon Musk has boasted about bankrolling could initially focus on a handful of attainable House and Senate seats while striving to be the decisive vote on major issues amid the thin margins in Congress. Musk tweeted that one way to achieve his political goals would be to 'laser-focus on just 2 or 3 Senate seats and 8 to 10 House districts'. Would Musk himself become a candidate? Unlikely. He has promised to return his focus to his many companies, though his most recent tweets indicate otherwise. What Musk needs to make his part a reality is another Donald Trump, a superstar aligned with him whom he can douse with money. His function in politics is that of an ATM The Wisconsin supreme court election in early April demonstrated that Musk himself is not personally popular. After appearing on stage and handing out million-dollar checks, he watched his preferred candidate lose handily. His function in politics is that of an ATM. He is, after all, the richest person in the world, even though Tesla's market capitalization has taken a beating since he appeared in Washington. Since Musk himself is an ineffective electioneer, the success of his new political party will depend on an undeniable star like Trump, another titanic force. He needs a conduit who can channel his donations into a charming and effective campaign. So far, there doesn't seem to be one. Trump's grip on the Republican party is tight, and he runs an operation that enacts swift and pitiless retribution on anyone who expresses enough disloyalty, including Musk. The risk of defecting from Trump's party and joining Musk's quixotic centrist quest is high. The only people who do want to see a new party form are the chaos-hungry voters on X, who told Musk by a considerable margin in a poll last week he ran that he should do it. Few of them, if any, are running for office, though. I suspect they just want the most fractious outcome, which may become our collective fate. A moment of odd and coincidental timing: Sam Altman, CEO of OpenAI, picked this weekend to say that he feels 'politically homeless'. Musk has given the same assessment of his own political position. These two Silicon Valley heavyweights hate each other, an acrimony evident in Musk's lengthy legal fight to stop OpenAI's planned conversion from a non-profit to a for-profit enterprise. Despite their enmity, though, they voiced this same idea at the same time. Musk and Altman have cultivated starkly different public personae. Where Musk is loud online, Altman is reserved. Where Musk is brash, Altman is calculated. Where Musk has swerved to the political right, Altman has attempted to play both sides of the aisle. But Altman's sentiments, concurrent and concurring with Musk's, perhaps offer an explanation for how these two could have worked together to found OpenAI together in 2015. After all, if their stock portfolios are any indication they both believe in 'the compounding magic of capitalism', as Altman put it. Last week, we published a story about people who use generative artificial intelligence to write their personal messages. AI is proliferating in offices with promises of productivity gains. As we grow more comfortable with it at work, though, it's also seeping into our personal lives. My colleague Adrienne Matei reports: Earlier this spring, Nik Vassev heard a high school friend's mother had died. Vassev, a 32-year-old tech entrepreneur in Vancouver, Canada, opened up Claude AI, Anthropic's artificial intelligence chatbot. Sign up to TechScape A weekly dive in to how technology is shaping our lives after newsletter promotion Claude helped Vassev craft a note. Thanks to the message, Vassev's friend opened up about their grief. But Vassev never revealed that AI was involved. People 'devalue' writing that is AI-assisted, he acknowledges. In one 2023 study, 208 adults received a 'thoughtful' note from a friend; those who were told the note was written with AI felt less satisfied and 'more uncertain about where they stand' with the friend, according to the authors. Using AI in personal messages is a double gamble: first, that the recipient won't notice, and second, that they won't mind. Still, there are arguments for why taking the risk is worthwhile, and why a hint of AI in a Hinge message might not be so bad. Read the whole story here. We now have the capability to punch up any message – a more descriptive word here, a more heartfelt tone there – with a snap of a finger. Can AI help us better convey what we mean, eliminating the frustrating barrier of writing that stands between feeling and expression? Or will it desiccate our relationships if we do not force ourselves through the emotions of writing our messages ourselves? Will AI help us connect or allow us to feign connection without putting in the work? Both the benefits and drawbacks are evident, and some scenarios seem more appropriate than others. Perhaps you would not have sent a birthday card at all if you had not had a personalized message at the ready. One writer for the Atlantic was astounded when Google's Gemini, which has access to her personal conversations, wrote a sweet and specific birthday card that referenced real moments in her relationship with a good friend. Perhaps you would have ghosted someone without a mechanized speechwriter. The context in which you decide you will use AI to write – or when you disclose that you already have – will make all the difference in its reception. We want to hear more. AI is influencing our private moments and our intimate connections as well as our professional lives, and we want to know what situations you find it best suited to. ***Do you use generative AI to write your personal communications? If you do, email us at and tell us how and how often. Has it improved your relationships with others or made them more difficult? 'The vehicle suddenly accelerated with our baby in it': the terrifying truth about why Tesla's cars keep crashing Elon Musk's xAI gets permit for methane gas generators Jury says Google must pay California Android smartphone users $314.6m Trump to start TikTok sale talks with China, he says, with deal 'pretty much' reached Trump officials create searchable national citizenship database 'AI doesn't know what an orgasm sounds like': audiobook actors grapple with the rise of robot narrators Wimbledon chiefs defend AI use as Jack Draper says line calls not '100% accurate' Google undercounts its carbon emissions, report finds 'A billion people backing you': China transfixed as Musk turns against Trump Trump and Musk's feud blows up again with threats of Doge and deportation
Japan Today
08-07-2025
- Business
- Japan Today
Musk faces daunting path in challenging U.S. two-party system
By James Oliphant and Bo Erickson 3D printed miniature depicting Elon Musk and words "The America Party" are seen in this illustration taken July 7, 2025. REUTERS/Dado Ruvic/Illustration Building a new U.S. political party from scratch is a daunting task, even for the world's richest man. But that is what Elon Musk, the billionaire behind Tesla and SpaceX, said he plans to do in the wake of his falling out with President Donald Trump. Musk this weekend announced the birth of the 'America Party' – dedicated, he said, to defeating Republicans who backed Trump's massive tax-cut and spending bill. Musk described his new party on his platform X as tech-centric, budget-conscious, pro-energy and centrist, with the goal of drawing both disaffected Democrats and Republicans. Musk has criticized the tax-cut bill, which is forecast to add about $3.4 trillion to the United States' debt. Breaking the two-party system's grip on U.S. federal elections would take tremendous resources and a long-term commitment, political experts say. Similar attempts have failed, underscoring how difficult it is to gain a foothold in a country where elections are organized on a state-by-state level. "There are just very, very significant barriers to the creation of a viable third party," said David A. Hopkins, a Boston College political science professor. He said challenges include building party infrastructure, organizing volunteers and qualifying for the ballot. David Jolly, a former Republican congressman from Florida who left the party over Trump, said Musk can provide what has long been required for such a push: money. "What the independent space has been lacking has been resources," Jolly said. "It's more than filing with the Federal Election Commission. It's really starting 50 state parties. You're talking about $100 million just to enter the space with real serious intent." Jolly considered returning to politics as an independent, but he concluded that staying within the two-party system would be a more effective way to reach unhappy voters. He is now running for governor of Florida as a Democrat. In 2016, former New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg, another billionaire, made a similar conclusion, rejecting the idea of running for president as an independent, saying that such a candidate would have "no chance of winning." Jolly estimated it would take Musk 10 years and perhaps $1 billion to build a viable national party – and said Musk's recent history with his Department of Government Efficiency suggests the billionaire may not be in it for the long haul. Musk left DOGE after just a few months in Trump's administration, having delivered little of the savings he promised. "What we have seen is an Elon Musk who is not disciplined ... enough to change American politics," Jolly said. Musk's office did not respond to a request for comment. Musk could have chosen a more traditional path, using his political action committee to back Republican challengers to incumbents in the party primaries ahead of next year's midterm elections, which will determine control of Congress. He was the largest donor in the 2024 U.S. campaign cycle, making nearly $300 million in contributions, mostly focused on helping Trump return to the White House. Not all his political efforts have paid off. He poured millions of dollars into a Wisconsin Supreme Court election in April, only to see his preferred candidate fail. His efforts to convince Republicans in the U.S. Congress not to pass Trump's tax bill also fell flat. It is unclear how effective he would be in backing independents in a handful of competitive U.S. House of Representatives races. As it is, the roughly three-dozen races deemed competitive by nonpartisan analysts are often already swamped with cash from political parties and outside fundraisers, and the candidates themselves typically are ideologically more moderate - which would make it harder for Musk's candidates to differentiate themselves. Historically, congressional candidates outside the two parties have struggled to overcome disadvantages in local efforts to organize and get out the vote. More often, independents have served as spoilers – siphoning away votes from either the Democrat or Republican. In the 2024 election for a House seat in Ohio, independent candidate Dennis Kucinich, a former Democratic congressman, captured more than 12% of the general election vote. The Republican, Max Miller, won by 15 percentage points. Trump mocked Musk's efforts on Sunday. "Third parties have never worked, so he can have fun with it, but I think it's ridiculous," he told reporters. Complicating Musk's plans is that many voters dislike him. Any role he plays in an election is sure to become part of the debate. Musk is viewed less favorably than Trump by the American public at large - just 36% of respondents to a June Reuters/Ipsos poll had a favorable view of Musk compared with 42% who viewed Trump favorably, while 59% of respondents have an unfavorable view of him compared with 55% who viewed Trump unfavorably. But his biggest liability may be that he is trying to challenge Trump politically while relying on support from Trump's own voters. Musk enjoyed his strongest level of support - 78% favorability - among people who voted for Trump in November. 'Musk himself is not very popular, and his appeal has a huge overlap with the existing Republican coalition,' said Hans Noel, a political scientist at Georgetown University. 'There really isn't an unrepresented movement that he's speaking for ... he's unlikely to elect many America Party candidates." © Thomson Reuters 2025.
The Guardian
08-07-2025
- Automotive
- The Guardian
Does Elon Musk's new political party need its own Donald Trump?
Hello, and welcome to TechScape. This week in tech news, Elon Musk and Donald Trump are back at it, warring over the passage of the president's sweeping tax bill and the Tesla CEO's threat to create a third political party. Whether the richest person in the world is successful in those efforts will largely depend on the recruitment of another star politician. In other news, we want to know if you use generative artificial intelligence to write your personal messages – in what circumstances, and how often? Email to let us know. Elon Musk and Donald Trump have reignited their feud after the passage of the president's sweeping tax bill on 3 July. Musk has been campaigning (tweeting) against the 'abomination' of legislation for weeks, which passed in spite of him. Division over the bill was the cause of their initial breakup in early June. Musk has threatened to start a new centrist political party, and over the weekend, he made signs that he would follow through on his ultimatums to create 'The America Party'. Trump responded with a lengthy post on Truth Social calling Musk a 'TRAIN WRECK' that had gone 'off the rails' and saying that third parties had never succeeded in the US, so Musk's idea was 'ridiculous'. Tesla's share price fell sharply in response to the news. What would Musk's America party do besides troll Democrats and Republicans? Likely try to primary Republicans who voted for the bill. From my colleague Ramon Antonio Vargas: The new party that Elon Musk has boasted about bankrolling could initially focus on a handful of attainable House and Senate seats while striving to be the decisive vote on major issues amid the thin margins in Congress. Musk tweeted that one way to achieve his political goals would be to 'laser-focus on just 2 or 3 Senate seats and 8 to 10 House districts'. Would Musk himself become a candidate? Unlikely. He has promised to return his focus to his many companies, though his most recent tweets indicate otherwise. What Musk needs to make his part a reality is another Donald Trump, a superstar aligned with him whom he can douse with money. His function in politics is that of an ATM The Wisconsin supreme court election in early April demonstrated that Musk himself is not personally popular. After appearing on stage and handing out million-dollar checks, he watched his preferred candidate lose handily. His function in politics is that of an ATM. He is, after all, the richest person in the world, even though Tesla's market capitalization has taken a beating since he appeared in Washington. Since Musk himself is an ineffective electioneer, the success of his new political party will depend on an undeniable star like Trump, another titanic force. He needs a conduit who can channel his donations into a charming and effective campaign. So far, there doesn't seem to be one. Trump's grip on the Republican party is tight, and he runs an operation that enacts swift and pitiless retribution on anyone who expresses enough disloyalty, including Musk. The risk of defecting from Trump's party and joining Musk's quixotic centrist quest is high. The only people who do want to see a new party form are the chaos-hungry voters on X, who told Musk by a considerable margin in a poll last week he ran that he should do it. Few of them, if any, are running for office, though. I suspect they just want the most fractious outcome, which may become our collective fate. A moment of odd and coincidental timing: Sam Altman, CEO of OpenAI, picked this weekend to say that he feels 'politically homeless'. Musk has given the same assessment of his own political position. These two Silicon Valley heavyweights hate each other, an acrimony evident in Musk's lengthy legal fight to stop OpenAI's planned conversion from a non-profit to a for-profit enterprise. Despite their enmity, though, they voiced this same idea at the same time. Musk and Altman have cultivated starkly different public personae. Where Musk is loud online, Altman is reserved. Where Musk is brash, Altman is calculated. Where Musk has swerved to the political right, Altman has attempted to play both sides of the aisle. But Altman's sentiments, concurrent and concurring with Musk's, perhaps offer an explanation for how these two could have worked together to found OpenAI together in 2015. After all, if their stock portfolios are any indication they both believe in 'the compounding magic of capitalism', as Altman put it. Last week, we published a story about people who use generative artificial intelligence to write their personal messages. AI is proliferating in offices with promises of productivity gains. As we grow more comfortable with it at work, though, it's also seeping into our personal lives. My colleague Adrienne Matei reports: Earlier this spring, Nik Vassev heard a high school friend's mother had died. Vassev, a 32-year-old tech entrepreneur in Vancouver, Canada, opened up Claude AI, Anthropic's artificial intelligence chatbot. Sign up to TechScape A weekly dive in to how technology is shaping our lives after newsletter promotion Claude helped Vassev craft a note. Thanks to the message, Vassev's friend opened up about their grief. But Vassev never revealed that AI was involved. People 'devalue' writing that is AI-assisted, he acknowledges. In one 2023 study, 208 adults received a 'thoughtful' note from a friend; those who were told the note was written with AI felt less satisfied and 'more uncertain about where they stand' with the friend, according to the authors. Using AI in personal messages is a double gamble: first, that the recipient won't notice, and second, that they won't mind. Still, there are arguments for why taking the risk is worthwhile, and why a hint of AI in a Hinge message might not be so bad. Read the whole story here. We now have the capability to punch up any message – a more descriptive word here, a more heartfelt tone there – with a snap of a finger. Can AI help us better convey what we mean, eliminating the frustrating barrier of writing that stands between feeling and expression? Or will it desiccate our relationships if we do not force ourselves through the emotions of writing our messages ourselves? Will AI help us connect or allow us to feign connection without putting in the work? Both the benefits and drawbacks are evident, and some scenarios seem more appropriate than others. Perhaps you would not have sent a birthday card at all if you had not had a personalized message at the ready. One writer for the Atlantic was astounded when Google's Gemini, which has access to her personal conversations, wrote a sweet and specific birthday card that referenced real moments in her relationship with a good friend. Perhaps you would have ghosted someone without a mechanized speechwriter. The context in which you decide you will use AI to write – or when you disclose that you already have – will make all the difference in its reception. We want to hear more. AI is influencing our private moments and our intimate connections as well as our professional lives, and we want to know what situations you find it best suited to. ***Do you use generative AI to write your personal communications? If you do, email us at and tell us how and how often. Has it improved your relationships with others or made them more difficult? 'The vehicle suddenly accelerated with our baby in it': the terrifying truth about why Tesla's cars keep crashing Elon Musk's xAI gets permit for methane gas generators Jury says Google must pay California Android smartphone users $314.6m Trump to start TikTok sale talks with China, he says, with deal 'pretty much' reached Trump officials create searchable national citizenship database 'AI doesn't know what an orgasm sounds like': audiobook actors grapple with the rise of robot narrators Wimbledon chiefs defend AI use as Jack Draper says line calls not '100% accurate' Google undercounts its carbon emissions, report finds 'A billion people backing you': China transfixed as Musk turns against Trump Trump and Musk's feud blows up again with threats of Doge and deportation
Indian Express
08-07-2025
- Automotive
- Indian Express
Who is Vaibhav Taneja? Indian-origin Tesla CFO appointed treasurer of Elon Musk's America Party
Vaibhav Taneja, Tesla's Chief Financial Officer (CFO) and an Indian-origin executive, has been named the treasurer of 'The America Party', a new political party launched by Elon Musk. Taneja's appointment was confirmed in a filing with the US Federal Election Commission (FEC) on July 4, 2025. Billionaire Elon Musk formed the party earlier this month in response to US President Donald Trump's leadership and his controversial tax and spending bill that is now an Act. Musk claims the party stands for free speech, innovation, and less government interference. The FEC filing listed The America Party's headquarters as 1, Rocker Road in Hawthorne, California, a Tesla address. Taneja is officially named as both the party's treasurer and the person in charge of its financial records. His role will involve handling donations, managing party funds, and making sure everything is legally in order. Taneja has been with Tesla since 2017 and became the company's CFO in 2023. He's a Chartered Accountant from India and a graduate of Delhi University. Before joining Tesla, he worked for 17 years at PricewaterhouseCoopers (PwC), and later at SolarCity, which was acquired by Tesla. A political party treasurer mainly manages the funds for a political party. They manage donations and expenses, keep detailed records, and make sure the party follows all finance rules. They must ensure compliance with campaign finance laws and maintain detailed records of all financial transactions, including contributions, expenditures, loans, and debts. Reacting to Musk's announcement, Trump called the move 'ridiculous.' Speaking to reporters, he criticised the idea and even pointed to a possible conflict of interest, referring to Musk's business ties to NASA and space exploration. With the 2026 US midterm elections around the corner, 'The America Party' is still taking shape and Musk's team may accelerate its organisational groundwork.
Straits Times
08-07-2025
- Business
- Straits Times
Musk faces a daunting path in challenging US two-party system
Sign up now: Get ST's newsletters delivered to your inbox 3D printed miniature depicting Elon Musk and words \"The America Party\" are seen in this illustration taken July 7, 2025. REUTERS/Dado Ruvic/Illustration WASHINGTON - Building a new U.S. political party from scratch is a daunting task, even for the world's richest man. But that is what Elon Musk, the billionaire behind Tesla and SpaceX, said he plans to do in the wake of his falling out with President Donald Trump. Musk this weekend announced the birth of the 'America Party' – dedicated, he said, to defeating Republicans who backed Trump's massive tax-cut and spending bill. Musk described his new party on his platform X as tech-centric, budget-conscious, pro-energy and centrist, with the goal of drawing both disaffected Democrats and Republicans. Musk has criticized the tax-cut bill, which is forecast to add about $3.4 trillion to the United States' debt. Breaking the two-party system's grip on U.S. federal elections would take tremendous resources and a long-term commitment, political experts say. Similar attempts have failed, underscoring how difficult it is to gain a foothold in a country where elections are organized on a state-by-state level. "There are just very, very significant barriers to the creation of a viable third party," said David A. Hopkins, a Boston College political science professor. He said challenges include building party infrastructure, organizing volunteers and qualifying for the ballot. David Jolly, a former Republican congressman from Florida who left the party over Trump, said Musk can provide what has long been required for such a push: money. "What the independent space has been lacking has been resources," Jolly said. "It's more than filing with the Federal Election Commission. It's really starting 50 state parties. You're talking about $100 million just to enter the space with real serious intent." Top stories Swipe. Select. Stay informed. Singapore NDP celebrations to be held at 5 heartland sites, including Bishan and Punggol, on Aug 10 Singapore NDP 2025: Tank that bumped into traffic light lost steering and braking power due to faulty part Singapore SIA flight from Brisbane to Singapore diverted to Perth due to technical issue Singapore New Draft Master Plan could reignite developers' interest to buy land Singapore AI cannot supplant learning, it must enable it: Desmond Lee Business ShopBack to scale up its payments business as it gets major payment institution licence Asia China warns Trump on tariffs, threatens retaliation on supply chain deals Multimedia 'I suspect he's cheating': She finds proof when spouses stray Jolly considered returning to politics as an independent, but he concluded that staying within the two-party system would be a more effective way to reach unhappy voters. He is now running for governor of Florida as a Democrat. In 2016, former New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg, another billionaire, made a similar conclusion, rejecting the idea of running for president as an independent, saying that such a candidate would have "no chance of winning." Jolly estimated it would take Musk 10 years and perhaps $1 billion to build a viable national party – and said Musk's recent history with his Department of Government Efficiency suggests the billionaire may not be in it for the long haul. Musk left DOGE after just a few months in Trump's administration, having delivered little of the savings he promised. "What we have seen is an Elon Musk who is not disciplined ... enough to change American politics," Jolly said. Musk's office did not respond to a request for comment. Tesla shares closed nearly 7% lower on Monday as Musk reignited investors' worries about his focus on the company. PLAYING SPOILER Musk could have chosen a more traditional path, using his political action committee to back Republican challengers to incumbents in the party primaries ahead of next year's midterm elections, which will determine control of Congress. He was the largest donor in the 2024 U.S. campaign cycle, making nearly $300 million in contributions, mostly focused on helping Trump return to the White House. Not all his political efforts have paid off. He poured millions of dollars into a Wisconsin Supreme Court election in April, only to see his preferred candidate fail. His efforts to convince Republicans in the U.S. Congress not to pass Trump's tax bill also fell flat. It is unclear how effective he would be in backing independents in a handful of competitive U.S. House of Representatives races. As it is, the roughly three-dozen races deemed competitive by nonpartisan analysts are often already swamped with cash from political parties and outside fundraisers, and the candidates themselves typically are ideologically more moderate - which would make it harder for Musk's candidates to differentiate themselves. Historically, congressional candidates outside the two parties have struggled to overcome disadvantages in local efforts to organize and get out the vote. More often, independents have served as spoilers – siphoning away votes from either the Democrat or Republican. In the 2024 election for a House seat in Ohio, independent candidate Dennis Kucinich, a former Democratic congressman, captured more than 12% of the general election vote. The Republican, Max Miller, won by 15 percentage points. Trump mocked Musk's efforts on Sunday. "Third parties have never worked, so he can have fun with it, but I think it's ridiculous," he told reporters. Complicating Musk's plans is that many voters dislike him. Any role he plays in an election is sure to become part of the debate. Musk is viewed less favorably than Trump by the American public at large - just 36% of respondents to a June Reuters/Ipsos poll had a favorable view of Musk compared with 42% who viewed Trump favorably, while 59% of respondents have an unfavorable view of him compared with 55% who viewed Trump unfavorably. But his biggest liability may be that he is trying to challenge Trump politically while relying on support from Trump's own voters. Musk enjoyed his strongest level of support - 78% favorability - among people who voted for Trump in November. 'Musk himself is not very popular, and his appeal has a huge overlap with the existing Republican coalition,' said Hans Noel, a political scientist at Georgetown University. 'There really isn't an unrepresented movement that he's speaking for ... he's unlikely to elect many America Party candidates." REUTERS
