US tech billionaire Elon Musk said he has formed a new political party to give Americans their freedom back after a dramatic falling out with Donald Trump. Taking to X, he announced his plans, saying that he had set up the 'America Party' to challenge the two-party system in the country.
"Today, the America Party is formed to give you back your freedom," Musk said in a post on X. "When it comes to bankrupting our country with waste & graft, we live in a one-party system, not a democracy," the Tesla and SpaceX CEO said.
However, he did not say whether the party may be registered. To legally form, the party would require it to register with the Federal Election Commission (FEC).
Musk first raised prospect of forming new party during his public feud with Trump
It should be noted that Elon Musk first raised the prospect of forming a party during his public feud with Trump, which saw him leave his role in the administration's Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) and engage in a vicious public spat with his former ally. During that row, Musk posted a poll on X asking users if there should be a new political party in the US.
Referencing that poll in his post on Saturday, Musk wrote, "By a factor of 2 to 1, you want a new political party and you shall have it!
Musk, the largest individual donor to Trump's 2024 presidential campaign, was a close adviser to Trump until recently. The world's richest man has indicated he wants a party that is fiscally conservative and reins in spending but has not offered other details about what the party's platform would be.
Why did Elon Musk start a new party?
Taking to X, Elon Musk said, "When it comes to bankrupting our country with waste & graft, we live in a one-party system, not a democracy." He also said, "Today, the America Party is formed to give you back your freedom."
Notably, the two-party system in the United States has long been criticised by both registered Democrats and registered Republicans, but efforts in the last century to form a third party have shown little success.
Musk said in other posts to social media this week that his party would become an active political force during next year's midterm elections and that it would initially focus on supporting candidates in just a handful of House and Senate races.
Can Elon Musk run for President in the 2028 US election?
No, Elon Musk can't run for president in the 2028 US election, as he is not eligible considering the US Constitution (Article II, Section 1), which mandates candidates to be native-born citizens. Musk is constitutionally barred from becoming US president. The former Trump advisor and the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) chief was born in South Africa, and in 2002, he received his US citizenship. "I cannot be president because of my African birth," he once had confirmed in 2024.
In this regard, the US Constitution is very clear. Article II, Section 1 states, "No person except a natural-born citizen…shall be eligible to the Office of President."
This requirement means only someone who was a US citizen from birth—either born on American soil or born abroad to US citizen parents—is considered eligible.
Notably, Musk was born in Pretoria, South Africa, in 1971. While he later became a US citizen, he is classified as a naturalised citizen, not a natural-born one.
What can Elon Musk achieve by forming the America Party?
If not for the President's post, he can dominate the political discourse and tap into the resentment against the two-party system in the US.
Given the wafer-thin margins in the US polls, he can control the deciding vote bank in the election.
With the formation of a new party in the US, Musk can leverage his social media heft to dictate the narrative.
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