The former White House special government employee said he wants to target the ‘uniparty’ following a break with President Donald Trump.
Tesla CEO and former White House adviser Elon Musk on July 5 announced that he would create a new political party following a split with President Donald Trump over the One Big Beautiful Bill Act passed by Congress last week.
Musk, who became a vocal Trump ally in the closing weeks of the 2024 presidential election and led the task force known as the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), broke with the Republican president over his signature legislation, which was signed into law by Trump on July 4.
What Musk Has Said
“When it comes to bankrupting our country with waste & graft, we live in a one-party system, not a democracy,” Musk wrote on July 5 on X, the social media company he owns. “Today, the America Party is formed to give you back your freedom.”
The formation of new political parties is a common occurrence, but they generally struggle to pull any significant support away from the Republican and Democratic parties, which have dominated U.S. politics for more than 160 years.
After Musk’s announcement, which did not include any criticism of Trump himself, the Tesla CEO has been repeatedly reposting comments supporting Musk or his attempt to create a third party. Based on his public statements, it’s not clear what Musk would do with the party. Because he was not born in the United States, Musk is not able to run for president.
In early June, Musk engaged in an escalating public feud with Trump over the Big Beautiful Bill. Trump warned Musk that he could pull federal subsidies for his companies, while Musk suggested he would decommission the SpaceX Dragon rocket system that is used to transport NASA astronauts to the International Space Station. He later said he wouldn’t do so.
After several days of back and forth between the two, Musk and Trump reconciled, with Musk expressing regret for some of his posts targeting the president. Trump also said he appreciated Musk’s comment in a New York Post interview but also said that he believes Musk is actually upset with the bill because it terminates federal subsidies for electric vehicles, which Tesla relies upon.