Elon Musk has announced the formation of a new political movement, the America Party, on his platform X (formerly Twitter), positioning it as an alternative to the dominant Republican and Democratic parties. This move follows a highly publicized fallout with former ally, President Donald Trump.
Musk, who is not eligible to run for U.S. president due to his South African birth, has not named a leader for the new party nor confirmed whether it has been formally registered with the Federal Electoral Commission. In his announcement, Musk cited public demand for a new political force, referencing a poll he conducted that showed strong support for an alternative party. “You want a new political party and you shall have it!” he declared.
Once a major Trump supporter—backing him with $250 million and appearing alongside him at campaign rallies—Musk’s split with Trump came after he left the administration in May. He had briefly led the “Department of Government Efficiency” (nicknamed DOGE), tasked with cutting federal spending. Musk criticized Trump’s sweeping tax and spending legislation, which was passed this week and is projected to add over $3 trillion to the national deficit.
A key point of contention was the bill’s lack of support for green initiatives, including subsidies for electric vehicles like Teslas. Trump lashed out at Musk, accusing him of being overly reliant on government support and threatening to investigate subsidies received by Musk’s companies, which include Tesla, SpaceX, and Starlink.
Despite the fanfare, experts note that new political parties face steep challenges in the U.S., where the two-party system dominates.
