ISH News has closely followed the dramatic political relationship between Tesla CEO Elon Musk and U.S. President Donald Trump over the past two years. From being close allies to turning into rivals, their journey has taken a major turn.

In 2024, Elon Musk was Trump’s biggest supporter, donating huge amounts to his campaign. But things changed in May 2025 when Trump introduced his much-talked-about “Big, Beautiful Bill” – a large tax-and-spending plan. Musk openly criticised the bill, saying it would “bankrupt America”, support outdated industries, and destroy innovation in sectors like electric vehicles and artificial intelligence.

Trump brushed off Musk’s concerns and called him an overreacting billionaire. But on 4th July 2025, while Americans were celebrating Independence Day, Musk started his own revolution. He posted a poll on his platform X (formerly Twitter) asking: “Do you want independence from the two-party system?” Over 1.25 million people voted, and 65% said “Yes”.

Two days later, on 6th July, Musk made a big announcement – the launch of a new political party called the America Party. He said the party was for those Americans who feel ignored by both the Republican and Democrat parties. He aims to give a voice to the 80% of people in the middle who want real change.

The America Party promises to reduce government waste, cut national debt, support innovation, modernise the military using AI and robotics, protect free speech, and promote pro-technology and family-friendly values. Musk has warned many times that the falling population is a big problem, and he wants to encourage policies that support having children.

At the start, Musk does not plan to fight in every election seat. Instead, he wants to focus on a few powerful ones – around 2 to 3 in the Senate and 8 to 10 in the House of Representatives. By doing this, he hopes to gain control over key swing votes in the U.S. government, which can decide the outcome of major decisions.

Trump reacted strongly and criticised Musk, saying third parties never work. He joked that the DOGE (Department of Government Efficiency), which Musk once led, may now be used against him. Trump also said that Musk’s success is only because of government help and that “without subsidies, Elon would be in South Africa fixing bicycles.”

Musk had earlier resigned from DOGE in May 2025 after his disagreements with Trump grew stronger. At that time, he had warned: “If this bill passes, I will start a new party.” Now he has kept his promise. Musk said, “Every lawmaker who supports this bill should lose their seat. I’ll make sure they do.” He is now trying to challenge Trump and the Republican party from inside the system.

Musk is not an ordinary political player. He has over 220 million followers on X, controls big companies like Tesla, SpaceX, and Neuralink, and has nearly unlimited resources. Former presidential candidate Andrew Yang also showed interest in joining forces with Musk.

There is talk that Trump might try to cancel NASA contracts with SpaceX, remove EV tax benefits for Tesla, or even start legal actions against Musk’s companies. But despite the risks, Musk’s move is gaining attention, and the 2026 elections may be the true test of his political power.

With all eyes on Musk’s new America Party, the big question remains—can he succeed where other third parties have failed? Or will this too fade away like many past attempts? Only time will tell.

Tags

• elon musk
• donald trump
• america party

Advertisement