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Tech billionaire Elon Musk announced Saturday the formation of a new political party in the United States, saying the country has effectively become a “one-party system” dominated by waste and corruption.
Musk, once a prominent ally and the largest political donor to President Donald Trump’s 2024 campaign, made the declaration in a series of posts on X, the social media platform he owns. The move comes after a highly publicized fallout with Trump over the president’s expansive domestic spending agenda.
“When it comes to bankrupting our country with waste & graft, we live in a one-party system, not a democracy,” Musk wrote. “Today, the America Party is formed to give you back your freedom.”"
The announcement followed a poll Musk posted on Independence Day, asking users whether they supported “independence from the two-party (some would say uniparty) system.” More than 1.2 million users responded, with Musk claiming a two-to-one majority in favor of a new party.
“By a factor of 2 to 1, you want a new political party and you shall have it!” he said in a follow-up post, along with a meme showing a two-headed snake labeled “End the Uniparty.”
Musk's break with Trump stems from the president’s signature “One Big Beautiful Bill,” a sweeping domestic agenda that dramatically expanded federal spending. Musk, who led the so-called Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) under Trump, had pushed to slash spending and eliminate federal jobs.
After the bill passed and was signed into law despite Musk’s objections, the SpaceX and Tesla CEO accused Republican lawmakers of embracing “debt slavery” and pledged to target them politically.
“They will lose their primary next year if it is the last thing I do on this Earth,” Musk said earlier this week.
Trump responded by threatening to strip federal contracts from Musk’s businesses and floated the possibility of deporting the tech mogul, despite his U.S. citizenship since 2002.
“We’ll have to take a look,” Trump told reporters when asked if he would consider deportation.
While it remains unclear how the America Party will impact the 2026 midterm elections or the 2028 presidential race, Musk has indicated a tactical approach. He suggested focusing on a handful of competitive Senate and House races to influence key legislation.
“One way to execute on this would be to laser-focus on just 2 or 3 Senate seats and 8 to 10 House districts,” he posted Friday.
All 435 House seats and roughly one-third of Senate seats will be contested in the next election cycle.
Political analysts were quick to note the historical pitfalls of third-party efforts in the U.S., referencing businessman Ross Perot’s independent campaign in 1992, which is widely believed to have split the Republican vote and helped Democrat Bill Clinton win the presidency.
“You are pulling a Ross Perot, and I don't like it,” one X user wrote in response to Musk’s announcement.
Despite skepticism, Musk’s entry into U.S. politics as the head of a third party marks a significant challenge to both major parties and injects fresh uncertainty into the American electoral landscape.
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