The suspense is finally over. Elon Musk, the visionary behind Tesla and SpaceX, officially declared the formation of a new political party on Saturday, July 5, 2025. His stated aim: to challenge the long-standing dominance of both the Republican and Democratic parties.
“Today, the America Party is formed to give you back your freedom,” the controversial tech entrepreneur announced on X (formerly Twitter) at 3:46 PM ET.
By a factor of 2 to 1, you want a new political party and you shall have it! When it comes to bankrupting our country with waste & graft, we live in a one-party system, not a democracy. Today, the America Party is formed to give you back your freedom. https://t.co/9K8AD04QQN — Elon Musk (@elonmusk) July 5, 2025
The creation of the “America Party” is nothing short of a bombshell, particularly given Musk’s significant financial contributions and political alignment with Donald Trump in the lead-up to the 2024 presidential election. Last year alone, Musk spent nearly $290 billion to support Trump’s return to the White House. This timely alliance granted the self-described “Techno King” an unprecedented level of influence for a tech entrepreneur in American politics. Trump, in turn, entrusted Musk with a custom-created federal department: the now infamous Department of Government Efficiency, or DOGE.
DOGE, however, quickly became a lightning rod for criticism, seen by many as emblematic of the very dysfunctions it was meant to fix within the federal government. Its methods and decisions, including the closure of federal agencies and drastic cost cutting at essential institutions, provoked widespread rejection of the billionaire.
This backlash manifested in protests outside Tesla showrooms, a drop in the electric vehicle maker’s stock price, and a noticeable plunge in profits and sales. Tesla’s sales erosion continued into the second quarter of 2025, during which the carmaker’s global deliveries fell by 13.5%. Tesla’s reputation, and that of Musk, suffered significantly, especially as the carmaker’s customer base heavily includes progressives and liberals who viewed his political alignment as a sharp departure from their values. Under increasing pressure from the markets, Musk formally withdrew from his government role at the end of May.
His public fallout with Trump began almost immediately after his departure, marked by a public spat between the two powerful figures on June 5. After a few weeks of relative calm, Musk reignited the feud by sharply criticizing the “One Big Beautiful Bill,” President Trump’s signature piece of legislation. He then publicly vowed to launch a political party and do everything he could to defeat Republican elected officials who voted for it.
As promised, on June 30, Musk formalized the political party he had previously hinted at, following the bill’s signing into law. The initial post announcing the party’s formation generated more than 3 million views in less than an hour, signaling the immediate and widespread attention it commanded.
Reactions on X, Musk’s social network, were acutely mixed. Users who visibly supported the MAGA movement and the Grand Old Party (GOP) expressed palpable disappointment and anger. Many lamented that the billionaire’s decision would, at best, fracture the conservative vote and, at worst, pave the way for Democratic victories in upcoming elections, particularly the crucial 2026 midterms.
“Why not just try and take over the GOP with more America First candidates?” asked one user, clearly disheartened by the billionaire’s move.
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