American Billionaire Elon Musk has announced he is launching a new political party, weeks after a dramatic falling out with US President Donald Trump.
He made the announcement on the social media platform X, saying he had established the America Party as a challenge to the two-party system of Republicans and Democrats.
However, it is unclear if the party has been officially registered with US election bodies or who is going to lead the party, for that matter.
It is to be noted that Musk is ineligible to run for the US presidency, since he was born outside the US.
He first hinted at the prospect of forming a party as he engaged in a public brawl with Trump, which amounted to his leaving his position in the Trump administration.
After the 2024 presidential election, he was appointed to lead the so-called Department of Government Efficiency (Doge), which was tasked with identifying severe cuts in the federal budget.
During the recent row with his former ally, 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!
"When it comes to bankrupting our country with waste & graft, we live in a one-party system, not a democracy."
As of Saturday, the Federal Electoral Commission had not published documents indicating the party had been formally registered.
History of a fall out
Musk was, until recently, a core supporter of Trump, showing up with him during election rallies last year and bringing his four-year-old son to meet Trump in the Oval Office.
He was also Trump's key financial backer: Musk spent $250m (£187m) to help him regain office.
His fallout with Trump began when he left the administration in May and publicly criticised Trump's "big, beautiful bill",
The controversial bill was narrowly passed by Congress and signed into law by the president this week.
The massive law includes huge spending commitments and tax cuts and is estimated to add more than $3tn to the US deficit over the next decade.
Crucially for Musk, who owns electric-vehicle giant Tesla, Trump's bill does not focus on green transition or subsidies for products like Tesla's.
"If this insane spending bill passes, the America Party will be formed the next day," Musk said in an X post Monday evening.
Ironically, Trump got back at him by threatening to use the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), which Musk helped to create with the stated purpose of reducing "waste" and federal spending.
"Elon may get more subsidies than any human being in history, by far," Trump wrote on Truth Social this week.
"Without subsidies, Elon would probably have to close up shop and head back home to South Africa."
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