Elon Musk, the billionaire entrepreneur behind Tesla and SpaceX, has once again found himself at the center of America’s political storm. In the months leading up to August 2025, Musk’s flirtation with launching a new political party—the so-called America Party—sparked fierce debate among Republican leaders, former President Donald Trump’s allies, and the wider public. Now, amid mounting pressure and shifting alliances, Musk appears to be hitting the brakes on his third-party ambitions, at least for the moment.
The saga began in July 2025, when Musk took to his social media platform X (formerly Twitter) to float the idea of a new political force. Citing the results of a poll he had posted, Musk declared, “By a factor of 2 to 1, you want a new political party and you shall have it.” He didn’t mince words about his motivation, adding, “When it comes to bankrupting our country with waste and graft, we live in a one-party system, not a democracy. Today, the America Party is formed to give you back your freedom.” According to The Wall Street Journal, this announcement came after Musk’s acrimonious split with President Trump over the administration’s “One Big Beautiful Bill”—a sweeping package of tax cuts and border-security funding.
Musk, who had served as a senior adviser to Trump and led the Department of Government Efficiency for four months, left his White House role in late May 2025. What followed was a very public falling out. Musk blasted Trump’s signature bill as a “disgusting abomination” and went so far as to pledge to “fire all politicians” who supported it. This sharp turn set the stage for his third-party musings and a war of words that played out in front of millions of Americans online.
Yet, the idea of the America Party quickly ran into political headwinds. Senior Republicans, including Vice President JD Vance, were not shy about voicing their concerns. In an exclusive interview on “The Ingraham Angle” on August 20, 2025, Vance advised Musk to remain loyal to the Republican Party and President Trump’s MAGA movement. “My advice to Elon would be to try to fix the Republican Party. Try to push it in your own way. Disagree with me all you want, disagree with the president of the United States, but don’t pretend that you can make a big difference with a third party,” Vance said, as reported by Fox News. “I think Elon would make a much bigger difference if he stayed loyal to President Trump’s Republican Party, and if he had disagreements, express those disagreements from the inside as opposed from the outside.”
Behind the scenes, Musk’s allies told The Wall Street Journal that he was pausing his plans for the America Party to focus on his companies, Tesla and SpaceX. A scheduled call with a group specializing in third-party campaigns was canceled in late July, signaling a cooling of Musk’s enthusiasm for the project. Still, sources close to Musk insisted that he hadn’t officially abandoned the idea and could revisit it in the future.
The potential fallout from a Musk-led third party was not lost on Republican leaders. According to The Wall Street Journal, Musk acknowledged that launching a new party would likely damage his relationships with senior Republicans, including Vance. There was even speculation—though firmly denied by both parties—that Musk could back Vance in a 2028 presidential run. On Fox News, Vance was clear: “I’ve never talked with Elon Musk or frankly any other donor about 2028.”
Vance’s public comments reflected a broader concern among Republicans that Musk, despite his independent streak, is now firmly associated with the American right. “You believe in law and order. You believe in closed borders, you believe in economic growth and prosperity… The idea that Elon is ever going to go back to being sort of in the middle where Democrats and Republicans both like him—that’s just not going to happen,” Vance told Fox News host Laura Ingraham. “If he doesn’t like things the Republican Party is doing my advice to Elon would be try to fix the Republican Party… Express those disagreements from the inside as opposed from the outside.”
Trump himself responded to Musk’s America Party announcement with his trademark bravado. Taking to Truth Social, the former president wrote, “I am saddened to watch Elon Musk go completely ‘off the rails,’ essentially becoming a TRAIN WRECK over the past five weeks. He even wants to start a third political party, despite the fact that they have never succeeded in the United States.” The message was clear: third parties, in Trump’s view, are doomed to fail—and Musk’s energy would be better spent supporting the Republican cause.
For his part, Musk pushed back against some of the reporting, posting on X that nothing The Wall Street Journal reported “should ever be thought of as true.” Nevertheless, the billionaire’s political ambitions remain a subject of intense speculation. Musk’s America PAC was the largest donor in the 2024 election, contributing nearly $300 million to Trump and other Republican candidates, according to Reuters. This financial clout, combined with his massive online following, makes Musk a uniquely influential figure—even as he steps back from formal party politics, at least for now.
In interviews throughout August, Vance acknowledged Musk’s “complicated relationship” with the White House. Speaking to The Gateway Pundit on August 9, Vance joked, “I don’t know that he would take my call right now… I kid. I’m sure he would take my call, but honestly, the drama around him and the White House over the last couple of months—my hope is that it just kinda cools down a bit. If you’re patriotic, you’re not trying to sink your knife in the back of the president, you’re not trying to betray the movement.”
Musk’s America Party, while currently on hold, was envisioned as a force to “laser-focus” on a small number of seats in the upcoming midterm elections. Musk suggested targeting two or three Senate seats and eight to ten House districts, arguing that “given the razor-thin legislative margins, that would be enough to serve as the deciding vote on contentious laws, ensuring that they serve the true will of the people.” This strategy, if ever realized, could upend the balance of power in Washington—though, as history shows, third parties have always struggled to gain traction in the U.S. political system.
As the dust settles, it’s clear that Musk’s foray into party politics has left both allies and adversaries on edge. Whether he ultimately decides to revive the America Party or continue working from within the Republican fold, Musk’s influence on the national conversation is undeniable. For now, the billionaire seems content to focus on his business empire, but in the unpredictable world of American politics, few would bet against Musk making headlines again before long.
