After publicly feuding with President Donald Trump, Elon Musk, the world’s richest man, announced Saturday that he has started a new political party. Musk made the announcement a day after Trump signed his “Big Beautiful Bill” into law on Friday, which Musk called a “disgusting abomination.” Musk said he could begin by focusing on a few congressional races, although he did not say which ones.
“By a factor of 2 to 1, you want a new political party and you shall have it!” he posted on his website, X, referencing a poll he had posted the day before. “When it comes to bankrupting our country with waste & graft, we live in a one-party system, not a democracy. Today, the America Party is formed to give you back your freedom.”
A one-page website recently set up at theamericaparty.org says it’s “a movement of everyday citizens committed to pragmatic solutions, fiscal responsibility, principled leadership, and a brighter future for all Americans — beyond red and blue.”
The party, according to its website, supports small businesses, a digital bill of rights endorsing free expression, and “next-gen nuclear” power.
The “Space Frontier” is among its key pillars. It calls to “invest in launch tech, lunar logistics, and Mars R&D — unlocking in-orbit industry and space-mining wealth — so America leads the next great leap.” Musk, who aims to colonize Mars, leads a space company called SpaceX, a major government contractor.
The America Party website also calls for “merit-based immigration, STEM-first education, and contingency pilot projects for Universal Basic Income as AI reshapes work.” The website appears to have been updated Saturday to include a link to Musk’s Super PAC, America PAC.
Musk spent $290 million during the 2024 election campaign to support Trump and Republicans. He then became the head of Trump’s so-called Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), which oversaw mass firings throughout the government and led Trump’s efforts to consolidate power over Americans’ personal data and key federal systems.
Musk’s popularity has taken a hit since his involvement with Trump. He memorably made a straight-arm salute at Trump’s post-inaugural event in January, before running roughshod over the federal government while leading DOGE. Musk and his electric vehicle company, Tesla, have been the subject of protests around the country. His favorability numbers have shot down substantially since the start of last year — a trend that could continue if Trump keeps attacking him.
The billionaire left the administration in May. He and Trump have been feuding ever since. He tweeted and deleted a post alleging there were files showing the president’s connections to sex offender Jeffrey Epstein. Trump was reportedly left “dejected” following the end of their bromance, calling his former ally a “big-time drug addict” in a phone call. (In May, The New York Times reported that he took so much ketamine it affected his ability to pee, which he denied.)
Shortly before he left the administration, Musk said he had “done enough” political spending and that he would “do a lot less” in the future.
Earlier this week, Trump escalated and said he would “have to take a look” at the possibility of deporting Musk, who is from South Africa. He also threatened to cut off Musk’s companies’ subsidies.
“Elon may get more subsidy than any human being in history, by far, and without subsidies, Elon would probably have to close up shop and head back home to South Africa,” Trump posted on Truth Social. “No more Rocket launches, Satellites, or Electric Car Production, and our Country would save a FORTUNE. Perhaps we should have DOGE take a good, hard, look at this? BIG MONEY TO BE SAVED!!!”
Musk suggested his party could focus on congressional races. He previously said that he would target lawmakers who supported the Big Beautiful Bill.
“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 wrote. “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.”
The party has already seen some hiccups. The America Party website includes a security notice in red at the top of the screen saying that people are using the website URL to conduct cryptocurrency scams, and that the party has “NOT launched or endorsed any cryptocurrency or token.”
