Tesla billionaire announces formation of "America Party" after social media poll and aims to challenge the two-party system that has long dominated American politics.
Tech billionaire Elon Musk announced on Saturday that he has formed a new political party in the US, which he has named the "America Party." The decision comes after a poll on platform X, where over 65 percent of the 1.25 million voters expressed support for the idea.
"By a factor of 2 to 1, you want a new political party and you shall have it!" Musk wrote on X. He justified the party formation by stating that the US, according to him, lives under "a one-party system, not a democracy" when it comes to leading the country toward economic ruin through waste and corruption.
Independence Day is the perfect time to ask if you want independence from the two-party (some would say uniparty) system!
Should we create the America Party?
— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) July 4, 2025
Conflict with Trump behind the decision
The formation of the America Party marks a deeper rift between Musk and President Donald Trump, who were previously close political allies. The conflict arose around Trump's major tax and spending bill, which Musk criticized for increasing the national debt by five trillion dollars.
"Increasing the deficit from an already insane $2T under Biden to $2.5T. This will bankrupt the country," Musk explained on X when asked what made him turn against Trump.
Trump, for his part, has threatened to withdraw the billions in subsidies that Musk's companies Tesla and SpaceX receive from the federal government.
Strategy for political influence
Musk has previously suggested that the party would focus on winning a limited number of seats rather than challenging for the presidency. According to his strategy, two to three Senate seats and eight to ten House seats would be enough to gain decisive influence.
"Given the razor-thin legislative margins, that would be enough to serve as the deciding vote on contentious laws, ensuring that they serve the true will of the people," Musk has previously written.
Challenges for third party
Political experts point to the significant structural obstacles to establishing a successful third party in the US. The Republican-Democratic two-party system has dominated American politics for over 160 years, and complicated state laws and ballot access requirements pose major challenges.
Despite Musk's enormous financial resources – he is the world's richest person – it will require significant time and effort to build a political organization with real impact.
At the same time, opinion polls show there is latent support for alternatives to the established two-party system. A survey from Quantus Insights showed that 40 percent of voters could support Musk's party, with particularly strong support among male Republicans and independent voters.
Whether the America Party will evolve from a social media announcement to a full-scale political movement remains to be seen.
