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Gizmodo
a day ago
- Automotive
- Gizmodo
Elon Musk Wants to Blow Up the U.S. Political System
After a three week silence on political matters, Elon Musk is back. And he appears ready to blow up the entire U.S. two party system. The billionaire CEO of Tesla and SpaceX, who had gone quiet following a spectacular public feud with President Donald Trump on June 5, has returned to the political arena with a series of explosive attacks. He is now threatening to found a new political party to rival both Republicans and Democrats. This gambit seems to have been planned during his recent absence from the political spotlight. For the past three weeks, Musk's posts on X (formerly Twitter), were focused on his businesses, with promotions for Tesla, his AI chatbot Grok, and his brain chip company Neuralink. That period of calm has ended. In the last 72 hours, he has launched some of his most violent attacks yet against the 'One Big Beautiful Bill,' President Trump's signature legislation. Musk argues the bill, which includes massive tax cuts, gives in to pressure from Big Oil and will dangerously increase the national debt. Having previously headed the Trump administration's Department of Government Efficiency, the famous DOGE, Musk believes the priority should be cutting costs, not increasing spending. And he did not hesitate to make his anger known. 'Every member of Congress who campaigned on reducing government spending and then immediately voted for the biggest debt increase in history should hang their head in shame!' the billionaire threatened on X on June 30. He then added a direct promise of political retribution: 'And they will lose their primary next year if it is the last thing I do on this Earth.' Every member of Congress who campaigned on reducing government spending and then immediately voted for the biggest debt increase in history should hang their head in shame! And they will lose their primary next year if it is the last thing I do on this Earth. — Elon Musk (@elonmusk) June 30, 2025Musk went even further, promising to found a political party to break the current two party system. 'It is obvious with the insane spending of this bill, which increases the debt ceiling by a record FIVE TRILLION DOLLARS that we live in a one party country – the PORKY PIG PARTY!!' the tech mogul posted in anger. He then delivered the final blow: 'Time for a new political party that actually cares about the people.' It is obvious with the insane spending of this bill, which increases the debt ceiling by a record FIVE TRILLION DOLLARS that we live in a one-party country – the PORKY PIG PARTY!! Time for a new political party that actually cares about the people. — Elon Musk (@elonmusk) June 30, 2025In another post, he revealed what he would call this third national party, writing, 'If this insane spending bill passes, the America Party will be formed the next day.' He continued, 'Our country needs an alternative to the Democrat Republican uniparty so that the people actually have a VOICE.' If this insane spending bill passes, the America Party will be formed the next day. Our country needs an alternative to the Democrat-Republican uniparty so that the people actually have a VOICE. — Elon Musk (@elonmusk) June 30, 2025Essentially, Musk believes neither the Republicans who control the government nor the Democratic opposition represent a significant portion of Americans. He seems convinced the ground is favorable for a new movement. According to a 2024 Gallup study, 43% of Americans identified as independents, while only 28% identified as either Republican or Democrat. To underscore his seriousness, Musk threatened to personally target lawmakers who will vote for the bill. 'Anyone who campaigned on the PROMISE of REDUCING SPENDING, but continues to vote on the BIGGEST DEBT ceiling increase in HISTORY will see their face on this poster in the primary next year,' he threatened, attaching an image with the word 'LIAR' written in large letters. Anyone who campaigned on the PROMISE of REDUCING SPENDING , but continues to vote on the BIGGEST DEBT ceiling increase in HISTORY will see their face on this poster in the primary next year — Elon Musk (@elonmusk) July 1, 2025With a net worth estimated at $363 billion by Bloomberg Billionaire Index, Musk certainly has the financial means to follow through. In the 2024 election cycle alone, he spent nearly $290 million supporting Trump and other Republican candidates. However, history shows that third party candidates struggle in the U.S. electoral system. Ross Perot's 1992 presidential run captured 18.9% of the vote but won no electoral seats, and more recent candidates like Jill Stein have polled below 1%. This threat also seems to formalize Musk's divorce from the Trump administration. He signaled this by publicly backing Representative Thomas Massie of Kentucky, who voted against the bill and stated the president lacked authority to bomb Iran without congressional approval. Massie has since become a target of Trump's ire. 'MAGA should drop this pathetic LOSER, Tom Massie, like the plague!' Trump posted about Massie. 'The good news is that we will have a wonderful American Patriot running against him in the Republican Primary, and I'll be out in Kentucky campaigning really hard.' Responding to a post from former Libertarian congressman Justin Amash asking for support for Massie, Musk replied with a simple, direct promise: 'I will.' This isn't the first time Musk has floated the idea of a third party: 'A party more moderate on all issues than either Reps or Dems would be ideal,' he posted in May 2022, adding that: 'This is what most people in America want, but unfortunately it's not realistic.' But now, after a chaotic stint in Washington and a public breakup with the president, he seems more determined than ever. For the moment, President Trump has ignored him. The question is, for how much longer?
News24
19-06-2025
- Politics
- News24
Shivambu eyes new party; Gupta pad auction: Today's top 7 stories in 7 minutes
News24 brings you the top 7 stories of the day. News24 brings you the top stories of the day, summarised into neat little packages. Read through quickly or listen to the articles via our customised text-to-speech feature. Thahasello Mphatsoe /News24 Former MKP secretary-general Shivambu announces 'consultations' to form new party - Floyd Shivambu announced plans to consult various leaders and ordinary citizens about forming a new political party. - Shivambu denied resigning from the MK Party, despite recent internal conflicts and his ousting as secretary-general. - He claimed accusations of trying to overthrow Jacob Zuma within the MK Party were based on a 'bizarre and fake intelligence report'. amaBhungane | Who went to Paris with Paul? Tenderpreneur joined Mashatile's France-SA business trip - Sibuyile Magingxa, a tenderpreneur involved in a controversial water tanker contract, and his partner Lesedi Phala, allegedly the niece of SA's ambassador to France, attended an investment conference in Paris with Deputy President Paul Mashatile. - Despite not being on the official delegate list, Magingxa and Phala had access to key events, raising questions about influence and accountability, with various departments evading responsibility for their invitation. - The South African embassy in Paris claimed Magingxa and Phala met the criteria for participation, but amaBhungane's investigation revealed a lack of transparency and vetting, highlighting potential issues with who represents South African business on the international stage. Darren Stewart/Gallo Images AKA accused killers mull Cholota strategy to avoid trial, but Kubayi says there's no crisis - Lawyers for the men accused of murdering AKA and Tibz are exploring how a ruling that only the justice minister can request extradition, which freed Ace Magashule's PA, could impact their extradition from Eswatini. - Despite the NPA admitting the ruling could jeopardise 89 extradition applications, Justice Minister Mmamoloko Kubayi insists there's no need to panic, while the Ndimande brothers' lawyers claim there's no record of the minister's involvement in their extradition request. - The NPA is assessing the impact of the ruling, with a senior official revealing that the decision to withdraw an appeal against the ruling was informed by a conversation with Kubayi, who was concerned about the NPA's 'haphazard' approach to extraditions. Sithandiwe Velaphi/News24 Pupils vow academic excellence to honour schoolmates who died in Eastern Cape floods - Thirteen schoolchildren were swept away in Eastern Cape floods, with 10 fatalities, and Jumba Senior Secondary School pupils pledged academic excellence in their memory. - The Eastern Cape government held a day of mourning for flood victims, with hundreds attending a service where pupils vowed to honour their classmates through academic success. - Families shared stories of their lost loved ones, highlighting their dreams and the devastating impact of the tragedy, while officials expressed sympathy and solidarity. SEE | Inside Gupta compound: Homes with cinemas, beauty salon up for auction - Three Saxonwold properties linked to Gupta-owned Confident Concept, including their infamous compound, are up for auction on 24 July. - The properties, ranging from a single-story house to luxurious mansions, were tied up in legal battles following Confident Concept entering business rescue in 2018. - The auction aims to provide a 'long-awaited payday' for creditors after the Guptas fled South Africa facing financial crime charges. Eben on Jake's calls for star Boks to return to SA: 'Would be great, but a bit impractical' - Eben Etzebeth acknowledges the benefit of having top SA players in local rugby but deems it financially unrealistic. - Etzebeth expresses his desire to participate in the 2027 World Cup and looks forward to upcoming Tests against New Zealand and France. - He emphasises the importance of appreciating every opportunity to play for the Springboks and the team's goal to continuously improve.
