Elon Musk Breaks from Trump, Launches ‘America Party’ to Challenge Two-Party System in the US

Elon Musk announced on Saturday that he is creating a new political force in the United States - a third party called the "America Party" - marking a major departure from his close political alignment with President Donald Trump. The move follows weeks of tension between the two men, culminating in Musk’s public condemnation of Trump’s signature domestic policy bill, which was signed into law on Friday.

In a post on X, his social media platform, Musk accused both major parties of enabling corruption and fiscal irresponsibility, claiming Americans are trapped in a “one-party system” that threatens democracy. He declared the formation of the America Party as a step toward restoring public freedom.

Musk’s break with Trump is striking given their once-close alliance. He had been one of the president’s most generous donors in the 2024 campaign and served as the head of the Department of Government Efficiency. But Musk soured on Trump’s domestic agenda, denouncing the recent spending bill as a financial disaster that would inflate the deficit and push the country closer to economic collapse. He called the legislation a “disgusting abomination” and warned of “debt slavery.”

The feud between Musk and Trump intensified last month, cooled briefly after Musk deleted some of his harsher online criticisms, then reignited as the bill approached final approval. Trump has since hinted that the government might reconsider its contracts with Musk’s companies and even threatened to dismantle the very agency Musk once led, describing it as a “monster that may go back and eat Elon.”

Despite the announcement, it remains unclear whether Musk has taken the legal steps needed to register a new party. No filings have yet appeared with the Federal Election Commission. Insiders familiar with his discussions say that Musk has floated the idea with close associates in recent days, though the conversations have largely remained theoretical.

Nonetheless, Musk has publicly stated that the America Party will aim to be politically active in the 2026 midterm elections. He has outlined a strategy of targeting a limited number of races - potentially backing candidates in two or three Senate contests and between eight and ten House districts. The plan, according to Musk, is to use “extremely concentrated force at a precise location on the battlefield” to disrupt what he called the “uniparty system.”

While he shares many social policy positions with Republicans, Musk has voiced increasing alarm about the GOP’s fiscal path. He maintains that unchecked federal spending by either party contributes to national decline and undermines economic sovereignty.

Though wealthy third-party aspirants have made bids in the past - most notably Ross Perot in 1992 - success has proven elusive. Structural obstacles such as gerrymandering, deep partisanship, and stringent state ballot laws pose serious challenges to any new party, even one backed by the world’s richest individual.

Musk’s own record is mixed when it comes to political outcomes. While he poured millions into Republican campaigns, including over $20 million in a failed effort to swing the Wisconsin Supreme Court, the broader Republican effort has not always matched his ambitions.

Still, Musk seems committed, at least rhetorically, to pursuing this new path. Whether the America Party evolves into a true political force - or remains another of Musk’s ambitious but unrealized ventures - remains to be seen.