On July 5th, local time, Elon Musk, a billionaire in the United States, announced on social media: “Today, the establishment of ‘The Party of America’ also gives you freedom.”
Musk made this statement in response to a post he had made on social media on the 4th. “A 2:1 ratio of support and opposition indicates that you want a new party, and so will you have one,” Musk wrote, stating that the United States is “bankrupt due to waste and corruption.”
When asked by a netizen whether his new party would participate in the mid-term elections in 2026 or the presidential election in 2028, Musk replied: “Next year!”
Recently, Musk and Trump have disagreed over the “Big Beautiful” tax and spending bill. On June 30th, Musk sharply criticized the so-called “Big Beautiful” tax and spending bill pushed by Trump and stated that if the bill passed, it would be established the next day as “The Party of America.”
On July 4th, local time, Trump signed the “Big Beautiful” tax and spending bill, making it effective. A few hours before the bill was signed into law, Musk posted again on social media about establishing a new party, asking netizens whether they should create “The Party of America” to liberate American citizens from the two-party system of Democratic and Republican succession. In the approximately 1.249 million votes received, supporters accounted for 65.4%, while opponents were 34.6%.
According to U.S. law, the qualifications for a party to participate in an election need to be certified through a complex authentication process, which first involves holding a congressional meeting or convention, electing temporary officials, and naming the party. It is unclear whether Musk’s “The Party of America” has initiated such procedures.
U.S. election expert Brett Kaplan stated that state laws favor the two major parties and create obstacles to the emergence of a third party. “Creating a new party and having it participate in elections is a high barrier. If you have unlimited funds, it might be possible, but it will take a long time and cost hundreds of millions of dollars.”
Media reports indicate that it is still unclear whether the new party will nominate candidates in the 2026 mid-term elections. However, with its massive social media following and influence in business, media, and technology, Musk could potentially redefine some aspects of American political discourse before the 2026 and 2028 elections.
Musk supported the current president Trump and the Republican Party during the 2024 U.S. election, but has recently diverged significantly with Trump’s views, repeatedly claiming to establish a new party to challenge the political landscape dominated by the Democrats and Republicans. Trump has threatened to expel Musk, born in South Africa, from the United States and strip him of federal funding from his businesses.