Elon Musk's proposed America Party is already attracting the attention of the ultra-rich
After celebrating the America Party announcement post with emojis, Cuban said that he works with the Center for Competitive Democracy and could help get Musk's party on ballots. Scaramucci also responded on X, saying he would "like to meet to discuss." To view this content, you'll need to update your privacy settings. Please click here and view the "Content and social-media partners" setting to do so.
Scaramucci previously served as the White House communications director in 2017 during Trump's first term before being dismissed 10 days in. The former Trump ally has since crossed to the other side of the political aisle and supported both Joe Biden and Kamala Harris in the 2024 presidential campaigns. Similarly, Cuban previously supported Harris and was even tied to the Democratic candidate as a potential running mate. While there are still plenty of questions about Musk's proposed political party that comes after a hostile fallout with Trump, the Tesla CEO's post on X indicated that it would focus on taking over "two or three Senate seats and eight to 10 House districts."
It's unclear if Musk has already filed the necessary paperwork to officially establish the America Party. The latest filings with the Federal Election Commission show several documents that reference Musk's new party, but the veracity of these is questionable, and they sit alongside a slew of apparent joke filings, including the "American Meme Party," "The Diddy Party" and "The DOGE Party."
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The unexpected traffic stops may also be preventing workers — particularly back-of-the-house cooks and dishwashers who often hail from Latin American countries — from showing up to shifts. 'I think people would much rather stay where they are and not have to deal with this,' said Shallal. 'A lot of our customers are immigrants that have either newly immigrated to America or have been naturalized Americans. ... In general, they'd rather not expose people or expose themselves to those kinds of conditions or situations that may put them in harm's way ." Related : Council member Charles Allen (D-Ward 6) has spoken to nearly a dozen restaurant owners in his district, which includes Capitol Hill and the NoMa neighborhood, and said they're telling him the same thing: In the last week, they're seeing less foot traffic. Reservations are being canceled. Employees, especially back-of-house staff, are not showing up for work, leaving restaurants shorthanded for evening shifts. Some restaurant owners are hesitant to complain publicly for fear of being targeted by federal agents. Advertisement 'I haven't heard a single restaurant say 'this is great for business,'' Allen said. 'Our businesses are suffering by what they're doing here,' the council member added. 'It's an unwarranted, absolutely ridiculous, unnecessary step that federal government's doing. It sure is more than just immigration issues. This is impacting bread-and-butter local businesses.' Med Lahlou, founder of an eponymous hospitality group operating neighborhood restaurants throughout the city including Lupo Verde on 14th Street NW, said the police presence and public arrests have been demoralizing. Federal agents and local police placed a man under arrest in D.C. on Monday. ERIC LEE/NYT 'It has been heartbreaking to watch my hometown of 40 years feel like it's coming apart,' the restaurateur said. He said the takeover is 'devastating businesses to an unimaginable degree' — including the service industry. 'People are scared to go out, regardless of whether they are U.S. citizens or not. That fear alone is enough to damage restaurant week and the livelihood of countless workers,' Lahlou said. Oji Abbott had been expecting an uptick in sales at Oohh's and Aahh's, his soul food restaurant on U Street, as Howard University students returned to campus last week, preparing for the start of a new semester. But the uptick never arrived. Instead, Abbott says, he has experienced a decline — a small but noticeable one. He pinned some of the blame on the presence of federal law enforcement officers. Advertisement 'We got losses because some people are not coming out and dealing with that,' Abbott told The Post. 'They say, 'You know, I heard they were at 14th Street, they were in U Street. I'm not going.'' Abbott is fortunate compared to other businesses on the U Street corridor, he says. Oohh's and Aahh's has two other locations. If diners don't feel safe — or just don't want to deal with the hassle of navigating the neighborhood with all the extra vehicles on the streets — they can go to one of Abbott's outlets on Georgia Avenue NW or in Alexandria, Virginia. But the chef and owner also worries about the impact of 30 straight days of federal agents and officers on the streets. 'We have to operate within this 30 days, and do you have enough wherewithal to be able to have a week or month of short money coming?' Abbott says. 'Most small businesses, I'll say no. Small businesses, you don't have money to say, 'Oh, yeah, I'll just take the short money for 30 days and I'll still be able to pay the rent and my electric bill and my water bill and my gas bill.' Department of Homeland Security Investigation officers paused at the intersection of 14th and U Streets in northwest Washington, while on patrol on August 13. Pablo Martinez Monsivais/Associated Press Townsend with RAMW is more bullish on the restaurants that his group represents. They will make Restaurant Week work, regardless of how many staff no-show for a shift. Owners will roll up their sleeves and pitch in. But Townsend is also concerned about the federal takeover of Washington's streets as restaurant week revs up. 'There's a sense from the restaurant community in D.C. that folks who live in Maryland and Virginia will opt to dine in Bethesda or Tysons or Falls Church,' Townsend said, 'as opposed to trying out a new restaurant in D.C. this week.'
