Is Musk Starting a New Political Party Amid Trump Feud?
Elon Musk speaks during a Town Hall event at the KI Convention Center in Green Bay, Wisconsin, on March 30, 2025. Credit - Joshua Lott—The Washington Post
In an escalation of Elon Musk's fractured relationship with President Donald Trump and his Republican allies, the Tesla CEO has floated the idea of starting a new political party to rival the two-party system.
Musk conducted a poll via his social media platform X (formerly Twitter), asking his 220 million followers: 'Is it time to create a new political party in America that actually represents the 80% in the middle?' The public results show that around 80% of respondents voted yes.
'The people have spoken. A new political party is needed in America to represent the 80% in the middle!' Musk said, reacting to the results of his Thursday, June 5, poll. 'And exactly 80% of people agree…This is Fate.'
On Friday, Musk shared a potential name: "The America Party." The moniker echoes that of his super political action committee (PAC), America PAC, which was founded in 2024 to support Trump's efforts to return to the White House. The super PAC reportedly spent around $200 million to help elect Trump. Musk's donations made him Trump's largest, and most prominent, donor in the 2024 election.
Read More: 5 Things To Watch As the Trump-Musk Meltdown Proceeds
In 2016 and 2020, Musk voted for Trump's Democratic opponents—Hillary Clinton and former President Joe Biden, respectively. But during the 2022 midterm elections, Musk said he intended to vote Republican, and that later developed into him becoming Trump's close ally, which was cemented when the President positioned him as lead of the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), a role he held until recently.
However, Trump and Musk have now had an explosive fall-out, which has played out in the public arena via social media over the past few days. It started with Musk's disapproval over Trump's 'Big, Beautiful Bill,' which he called an "abomination" and told his social media followers to 'call your Senator, call your Congressman… kill the bill.'
On Thursday, the back-and-forth between the two influential men escalated, with Musk alleging that Trump is listed in the files related to the late financier and sex offender Jeffrey Epstein. 'That is the real reason they have not been made public,' Musk said. He did not provide evidence pertaining to this and, as of early Saturday morning, the post has been deleted.
Musk also, in another since-deleted X post, endorsed a message that said: "Trump should be impeached" and that Vance "should replace him."
Trump has argued on his own social media platform, Truth Social, that "Elon was wearing thin" and that he asked the Tesla CEO to leave the White House.
Read More: Musk's Major Allegation Against Trump Disappears From Social Media: 'That Post Has Been Deleted'
Meanwhile, when talking to reporters aboard Air Force One on Friday night, Trump said he didn't have any plans to speak with Musk.
But some lawmakers are convinced that the feud between Trump and Musk will soon thaw, and that the latter's idea for a new political party won't come to fruition.
On Friday, Republican Rep. Jimmy Patronis of Florida told NewsNation's Blake Burman: 'Elon Musk is not gonna create a new political party... Trump knows that sometimes you're going to have [a] falling out with those that you trust, you like, that you're friends with. It happens with us in D.C. all the time. Mark my words, about a month from now, these guys will be hanging around again.'
Contact us at letters@time.com.
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