logo
Elon Musk applying brakes on plans to start third political party in US: Report

Elon Musk applying brakes on plans to start third political party in US: Report

Indian Express9 hours ago
Billionaire entrepreneur Elon Musk's plans to launch a third political party in the United States might have hit the roadblock as he is quietly putting brakes to start the new outfit, telling his allies he wants to focus on his companies, the Wall Street Journal reported on Tuesday, citing people aware of the matter.
After a public dispute with US President Donald Trump over his 'Big, Beautiful bill' which focused on tax cuts and spending, Musk launched his own political outfit the 'America Party' in July and touted it as the alternative to Democratic and the Republican party in the US.
In July, President Trump ridiculed Elon Musk's 'America Party' plan, while the Tesla CEO claimed it would restore 'freedom' to voters.
By a factor of 2 to 1, you want a new political party and you shall have it!
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. https://t.co/9K8AD04QQN
— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) July 5, 2025
The tech billionaire has sought to maintain his ties with Vice President JD Vance, who is a potential heir to Trump's MAGA (Make America Great Again) political movement, WSJ reported, while adding that Musk even acknowledged to his associates that forming a political party would damage his relationship with Vance.
The newspaper report states that Musk, who is the world's richest person, and his associates have informed people considered close to Vice President Vance that the billionaire is considering using some of his financial resources to back Vance if the latter decides to run for the US presidential election in 2028.
The Tesla and SpaceX CEO spent close to $300 million in the presidential campaign of Donald Trump and other Republicans for the 2024 polls and exerted enormous influence in the first few weeks at the White House after Trump anointed him as the head of newly formed Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE).
Vance had earlier called for a truce after Musk and Trump were involved in a public spat over the 'big, beautiful bill' and the vice president cleared his position this month by asking Musk to return to the Republican fold.
(with inputs from Wall Street Journal)
Orange background

Try Our AI Features

Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:

Comments

No comments yet...

Related Articles

India signs Terms of Reference for trade deal with Russia and others
India signs Terms of Reference for trade deal with Russia and others

The Hindu

time6 minutes ago

  • The Hindu

India signs Terms of Reference for trade deal with Russia and others

India and the Eurasian Economic Union (EAEU), comprising Russia, Armenia, Belarus, Kazakhstan, and the Kyrgyz Republic, on Wednesday (August 20, 2025) signed the Terms of Reference (ToR) to launch negotiations on a Free Trade Agreement (FTA), the Indian government announced. Also Read | Unjustified, says Russia on U.S. pressure on India for buying Russian crude oil This comes amid pressure from the U.S. — in the form of additional tariffs on imports from India — to reduce its economic ties with Russia. Also Read | Trump imposed tariffs on India to end Russia-Ukraine war, says White House The ToR were signed by Ajay Bhadoo, Additional Secretary in the Department of Commerce in the Government of India and Mikhail Cherekaev, Deputy Director in the Trade Policy Department in the Eurasian Economic Commission (EEC). 'Both sides noted the growing trade turnover between India and the EAEU, which stood at $69 billion in 2024, registering a 7% increase over 2023,' the Ministry of Commerce and Industry said in a release. 'With a combined GDP of $6.5 trillion, the proposed FTA is expected to expand market access for Indian exporters, support diversification into new sectors and geographies, enhance competitiveness against non-market economies, and deliver significant benefits to Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs),' it added. The Ministry added that both sides of the agreement reaffirmed their commitment to an 'early conclusion' of the FTA and to 'building a long-term institutional framework for trade cooperation'.

The irony if a Putin-Zelenskyy meet happens in Budapest
The irony if a Putin-Zelenskyy meet happens in Budapest

First Post

time6 minutes ago

  • First Post

The irony if a Putin-Zelenskyy meet happens in Budapest

The US is considering hosting Ukraine-Russia peace talks in Budapest, a city tied to the broken 1994 security pact, with Trump set to join if the summit happens The White House is considering a potential trilateral summit in Budapest involving the presidents of the United States, Russia, and Ukraine as part of ongoing efforts to negotiate an end to the years-long conflict, according to a Politico report, citing Trump administration official and a source familiar with the matter. The choice of Hungary's capital carries a note of historical irony for Ukraine, as it recalls the 1994 Budapest Memorandum — an agreement in which the US, UK, and Russia pledged to uphold Ukraine's sovereignty in exchange for its nuclear disarmament, a promise shattered by Russia's 2014 invasion. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD Russian President Vladimir Putin's 2014 assault on Ukraine proved the agreement meaningless when none of the signatories provided military forces to counter the attacks. The US Secret Service is making preparations for the meeting in Hungary, a Central European country led by Prime Minister Viktor Orbán, a longtime ally of President Donald Trump since his first term in office. When asked about Budapest as the venue for the meeting during Tuesday's White House media briefing, White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt declined to confirm specifics about the potential summit location. 'I'm not going to confirm or deny locations,' she said. Although the Secret Service routinely evaluates multiple venues and plans may still shift, Budapest is currently emerging as the leading option for the White House, according to the Politico report, citing two individuals granted anonymity to discuss private deliberations. Russian President Vladimir Putin has expressed a preference for Moscow, while French President Emmanuel Macron has lobbied for Geneva. In an effort to secure the talks, Switzerland's foreign minister even offered Putin 'immunity' from an outstanding war crimes warrant if his country, renowned for its neutrality, were selected as host. Still, the summit remains far from certain. After a meeting between European leaders and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy at the White House, German Chancellor Friedrich Merz said Monday that a follow-up conversation between Zelenskyy and Putin could take place within weeks. Shortly after, Trump announced on social media that he would join the two leaders for a trilateral summit, touted as the final step in peace talks that gained traction after his meeting with Putin in Alaska last week. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD However, Russian officials now appear to be dragging their feet on any direct engagement between Zelenskyy and Putin, reported Politico. In an interview on state-controlled television on Tuesday, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said Moscow wouldn't rule out talks with Ukraine, but emphasised a cautious, incremental approach: 'step by step, gradually, starting from the expert level and then going through all the necessary stages.' Leavitt reiterated on Tuesday that Putin has agreed to meet with Zelenskyy, and confirmed that the US is coordinating with both Russia and Ukraine to arrange the bilateral meeting. 'The president has spoken to both leaders about this and both leaders have expressed a willingness to sit down with each other,' Leavitt was quoted as saying. Leavitt said the bilateral meeting with Putin and Zelenskyy could be followed by a trilateral one including Trump. Meanwhile, Chairman of the Joint Chiefs Gen. Dan Caine will host top military officials from Germany, the UK, France, Finland, and Italy in Washington late Wednesday to begin talks on potential security guarantees and how to implement them, reported Politico, citing a defence official and a person familiar with the evolving plans. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD Also on Wednesday, all 32 Nato defence chiefs will hold a virtual meeting led by Nato's top general, Italian Adm. Giuseppe Dragone. Gen. Alexus Grynkewich, the new head of US European Command and Nato's Supreme Allied Commander, is expected to join the call. The urgent meetings highlight the scale of coordination required as European allies consider sending a peacekeeping force to Ukraine and ramping up purchases of US-made weapons for Kyiv. With inputs from agencies

America we are BACK! What's up TikTok? - White House goes live with Donald Trump on TikTok
America we are BACK! What's up TikTok? - White House goes live with Donald Trump on TikTok

Economic Times

time6 minutes ago

  • Economic Times

America we are BACK! What's up TikTok? - White House goes live with Donald Trump on TikTok

A 2024 law required TikTok to stop operating by January 19 of this year unless ByteDance had completed divesting the app's U.S. assets or demonstrated significant progress toward a sale. President Trump opted not to enforce the law after he began his second term as president on January 20. He first extended the deadline to early April, then to June 19 and then again to September 17. Tired of too many ads? Remove Ads Tired of too many ads? Remove Ads FAQs White House launched an official TikTok account on Tuesday, taking advantage of the short video app's more than 170 million U.S. users to spread the messages of President Donald Trump . Trump has a soft spot for the popular app, crediting it with helping him gain support among young voters when he defeated Democrat Kamala Harris in the November 2024 presidential in Washington worry, however, that its U.S. user data could fall into the hands of China's government. Trump has been working on a deal for U.S. investors to buy the app from TikTok's Chinese parent, intelligence assessments have said the app's owners are beholden to the Chinese government and that it could be used to influence new account, @whitehouse, went live on Tuesday evening with an initial video showing footage of Trump as he declares: "I am your voice." "America we are BACK! What's up TikTok?" the caption TikTok account Trump used for his presidential campaign last year, @realdonaldtrump, has more than 15 million followers. The Republican president also relies heavily on his Truth Social account to deliver his message and posts occasionally on his X account."The Trump administration is committed to communicating the historic successes President Trump has delivered to the American people with as many audiences and platforms as possible," White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said."President Trump's message dominated TikTok during his presidential campaign, and we're excited to build upon those successes and communicate in a way no other administration has before," she said.A 2024 law required TikTok to stop operating by January 19 of this year unless ByteDance had completed divesting the app's U.S. assets or demonstrated significant progress toward a sale. President Trump opted not to enforce the law after he began his second term as president on January 20. He first extended the deadline to early April, then to June 19 and then again to September to the deadline have drawn criticism from some lawmakers, who argue the Trump administration is flouting the law and ignoring national security concerns related to Chinese control over TikTok.A1. A 2024 law required TikTok to stop operating by January 19 of this year unless ByteDance had completed divesting the app's U.S. assets or demonstrated significant progress toward a sale. President Trump opted not to enforce the law after he began his second term as president on January 20. He first extended the deadline to early April, then to June 19 and then again to September 17.A2. President of USA is Donald Trump.

DOWNLOAD THE APP

Get Started Now: Download the App

Ready to dive into a world of global content with local flavor? Download Daily8 app today from your preferred app store and start exploring.
app-storeplay-store