Billionaire Elon Musk said Monday that he would form a new political party in the United States if a Republican Congress approves the “Big Big Beautiful Beak” by President Donald Trump, which proposes tax exemptions and financing cuts for food care programs and food.
Musk has expressed criticism of the bill on multiple occasions during the past month and began to suggest the idea of the new match on social networks in early June.
Here is more about Musk's reserves on the bill and on his new proposed party.
What has Musk said about the America party?
Musk has been saying that if the bill is approved, Republicans are not different from the Democrats, who are often accused by conservatives of being displaced with the dollars of the taxpayers of the expense.
The version of the bill that the Senate is discussing at this time, if both cameras of the Congress are approved, would expand the national debt at $ 3.3 billion between 2025 and 2034. The current national debt of the United States is more than $ 36 billion.
“If this crazy spending bill passes, the América party will form the next day,” Musk published on its social media platform, X, Monday.
“Our country needs an alternative to the Republican Uniparty Democrat so that people really have a voice.”
In a previous publication, Musk wrote: “It is obvious with the crazy expense of this bill, which increases the debt roof for a five billion record that we live in a single party country: Porky's pork party!”
The debt roof, established by the United States Congress, determines the upper limit for the amount of money that the United States treasure can borrow. The current debt limit is $ 36.1 billion.
Why does Musk oppose the bill?
Once a key assistant and an important campaign donor for Trump, Musk had a public fall in line with the president in June for his criticism of the bill.
On June 3, Musk wrote in X: “I'm sorry, but I can't stand it anymore. This draft expense law of the massive, scandalous and full of pork Congress is an unpleasant abomination.”
Musk claimed that Trump was linked to the financial dishonor Jeffrey Epstein in a position now eliminated in X. However, Trump and Musk seemed to have reached an arrest when Trump told journalists that he wanted Musk well while the latter wrote in X on June 11 that he had gone “too far” in his criticism of the United States.
However, since then, Musk has argued in a series of online publications that the bill would increase the debt roof, “America in bankruptcy” and “destroys millions of jobs in the United States.”
Musk has the manufacturer of the electric vehicle (EV) Tesla. The current version of the bill, with amendments made by the Senate, seeks to finish the tax credit for EV purchases for a value of up to $ 7,500, as of September 30. This could reduce the demand of EV consumers in the United States.
What is the América party that Musk proposed?
On June 5, Musk published a survey on his X account, asking his followers: “Is it time to create a new political party in the United States that actually represents 80 percent in the middle?”
While it is known that social networks surveys are not representative of a broader public feeling, 5.6 million people voted in the survey and 80.4 percent responded with “yes.” Since then, Musk has repeatedly published the result of the survey, citing it as evidence that most Americans want a new part to form.
“Musk believes that 80 percent of Americans are not happy with the two main parties and are not represented,” Natasha Lindstaedt, a professor at the Government Department, the University of Essex, to Al Jazeera, told Al Jazeera.
While that number could not reflect the broader American public, he points out a trend in the electorate; According to a 2024 Gallup survey, 43 percent of Americans identified as independent, 28 percent identified as a Republican and 28 percent identified as a Democrat. In other words, more Americans identify themselves as independent than as Democrats or Republicans.
One of Musk's followers responded to an X post with an image with the text “America Party”. The richest man in the world replied: “'America Party' has a good ring. The party that really represents the United States!”
How real is Musk's threat?
Experts say that Musk, whose net assets is $ 363 billion as of Monday, according to the Bloomberg billionaire index, could realistically finance a third party in the United States. However, it is still not clear if he would continue with his plan or if his party would have a significant effect on US elections.
“Musk certainly has the financial power to support a third party that could be very harmful to the Republican party, but it is not certain if Musk will assume this risk,” Lindstaedt said.
Lindstaedt recalled how earlier this month, Musk backed away from his criticisms of Trump in X. “If we take it in his word, he could spend hundreds of millions in this project,” he added.
“Musk has been increasing his criticisms of the bill lately, and can find specific legislators [particularly from the House] He would be willing to desert if his constituencies are more negatively affected by Trump's policies, “Lindstaedt said, referring to the House of Representatives.” It will also have the attention of the fiscal hawks in particular. “
Lindstaedt added that among American voters, there is a “great appetite” for a third party.
“The bill will leave the United States to spend hundreds of billions only in interest, and the more Americans understand this, the more they may want to go to something different. The public frustration of the United States with the traditional parties is at its highest point, and the musk can capitalize this.”
However, Thomas Gift, associate professor of Political Science at the UCL Public Policy School in London, said it was not clear if Musk is serious and suggested that barriers to break the Democratic Republican duopoly are difficult to climb for anyone.
“This is Elon Musk Bluffing,” he told Al Jazeera. “He knows as well as any person that the power of the machines of parties behind the Democrats and the Republicans is too much to overcome.”
Gift added that while forming a party it is possible, “winning seats in Congress or the White House is another matter completely.”
“In the best case, a third will have little impact on the US elections; in the worst case, 'Spoiler' will play, taking votes of one of the two games and de facto giving it to another.”
What has Trump said about Musk?
On Monday, Trump posted on his Truth social platform, saying: “Elon Musk knew it, long before he backed so much to President, that I was strongly against the mandate of EV. Electric cars are fine, but not everyone should be forced to possess one.”
Trump added: “Without subsidies, Elon would probably have to close the store and return to South Africa. No more rocket launches, satellites or electric cars production, and our country would save a fortune.”
“Maybe we should make Dege take a good, difficult, look at this? Great money to be saved!” Trump wrote, referring to the Government's efficiency department, an advisory agency aimed at promoting government efficiency and improving information technology, which Musk formed and led at the beginning of the second Trump administration, before departing on May 30.
