BRIDGEWATER, N.J. — Elon Musk said he's carrying out his threat to form a new political party after his fissure with President Donald Trump, announcing the America Party in response to the president's sweeping tax cuts law.
Musk, once an ever-present ally to Trump as he headed up the slashing agency known as the Department of Government Efficiency, broke with the Republican president over his signature legislation, which was signed into law Friday.
As the bill made its way through Congress, Musk threatened to form the ''America Party'' if ''this insane spending bill passes.''
''When it comes to bankrupting our country with waste & graft, we live in a one-party system, not a democracy,'' Musk said Saturday on X, the social media company he owns. ''Today, the America Party is formed to give you back your freedom.''
Asked about the effort by reporters on Sunday afternoon as he prepared to return to Washington from his home in New Jersey, Trump called Musk's proposition ''ridiculous,'' going on to tout "tremendous success with the Republican Party.''
''The Democrats have lost their way, but it's always been a two-party system,'' Trump added. ''And I think starting a third party just adds to confusion. It really seems to have been developed, but three parties have never worked.''
The formation of new political parties is not uncommon, but they typically struggle to pull any significant support away from the Republican and Democratic parties. But Musk, the world's richest man who spent at least $250 million supporting Trump in the 2024 election, could impact the 2026 elections determining control of Congress if he is willing to spend significant amounts of money.
His reignited feud with the president could also be costly for Musk, whose businesses rely on billions of dollars in government contracts and publicly traded company Tesla has taken a hit in the market.