Elon Musk announces the formation of a new political party in the United States

Elon Musk, a former ally of U.S. President Donald Trump, announced on Saturday that he has launched a new political party aimed at challenging what he described as America’s "one-party system."

Once Trump’s top political donor during the 2024 election, Musk had a high-profile fallout with the president after leading cost-cutting efforts as the head of the so-called Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE). Their rift deepened over Trump’s sweeping domestic spending bill, which Musk argued would dangerously increase the national debt. He pledged to oppose any lawmaker who supported it.

In response, Musk has now launched the “America Party” — his own political vehicle — to pursue his goals.

"When it comes to bankrupting our country with waste & graft, we live in a one-party system, not a democracy," Musk posted on X, the social media platform he owns. "Today, the America Party is formed to give you back your freedom."

He also shared results from a poll he posted on U.S. Independence Day, asking whether users supported “independence from the two-party (some would say uniparty) system.” The survey drew over 1.2 million responses, with a 2-to-1 majority in favor.

“You want a new political party and you shall have it!” Musk declared, along with a meme of a two-headed snake captioned, “End the Uniparty.”

'Targeted strategy' for 2026

The actual impact of Musk’s new party on the 2026 midterms or the 2028 presidential race remains uncertain.

Tensions between Trump and Musk escalated again late last month, as the president pushed Republicans to pass his massive spending package, dubbed the One Big Beautiful Bill. Musk fiercely opposed the plan, criticizing Republicans who supported it as hypocrites and accusing them of promoting "debt slavery."

He warned that he would back primary challengers against those lawmakers, saying: "They will lose their primary next year if it is the last thing I do on this Earth."

After the bill passed and was signed into law, Trump reportedly threatened to strip Musk’s companies of federal funding and even floated the idea of deporting him — despite Musk being a naturalized U.S. citizen since 2002.

"We'll have to take a look," Trump told reporters when asked whether Musk's citizenship could be reconsidered.

Following the launch of his poll, Musk outlined a possible political strategy: focus on flipping a handful of vulnerable congressional seats to gain influence over future legislation.

"One way to execute on this would be to laser-focus on just 2 or 3 Senate seats and 8 to 10 House districts," he wrote on X.

While all 435 House seats and about a third of Senate seats will be contested in 2026, some critics were quick to warn about the risks of third-party bids. One user likened Musk’s move to Ross Perot’s 1992 campaign, which many believe split the conservative vote and paved the way for Bill Clinton’s victory.

“You are pulling a Ross Perot, and I don't like it,” the user told Musk.