Elon Musk Announces Creation of “America Party”

South African-born American entrepreneur Elon Musk announced on Saturday the formation of a new political party, the “America Party,” following a highly publicized feud with U.S. President Donald Trump over a major government spending bill.

Musk revealed the move on his social media platform X (formerly Twitter), where he had conducted a poll two days earlier asking his 170 million followers whether he should establish a new party. More than 65% of the 1.25 million respondents voted in favor.

“By a factor of 2 to 1, you want a new political party and you shall have it!” Musk posted. “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.”

The announcement came just one day after Trump signed into law the controversial “Big Beautiful Bill,” a sweeping piece of legislation criticized by fiscal conservatives for increasing government spending. Musk had previously warned that he would create a political party if the bill became law.

Once a vocal supporter of Trump, Musk had donated over $250 million to Trump’s campaign and was widely credited with helping him defeat Vice President Kamala Harris in the 2024 presidential election. By restoring conservative voices on X and appealing to a segment of younger, previously left-leaning voters, Musk played a significant role in shaping the political climate leading up to the election.

After Trump’s victory, Musk was appointed head of the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), an agency established to root out wasteful federal spending. However, tensions between Musk and the White House began to rise as DOGE’s influence waned. Musk’s public criticism of the Big Beautiful Bill marked the final rupture.

On June 5th, the conflict spilled into public view as Musk and Trump exchanged sharp insults on social media. In a since-deleted post, Musk even implied that Trump’s name appeared in connection with Jeffrey Epstein’s files—an unsubstantiated claim that drew widespread attention.

Musk has since taken credit for the Republican Party’s success in the last election, claiming:

“Without me, Trump would have lost the election, Dems would control the House and the Republicans would be 51–49 in the Senate.”

Ahead of Saturday’s announcement, Musk had floated the idea that a third party could concentrate its efforts on a small number of key congressional races—targeting 2 to 3 Senate seats and 8 to 10 House districts in tightly contested states—to gain influence in an evenly divided Congress.

While many political analysts are skeptical of the long-term viability of third parties in U.S. politics, Musk’s considerable financial resources, cross-ideological support base, and strategic electoral focus suggest that the America Party could wield real influence in the 2026 midterm elections.