Can Elon Musk’s $350 billion sustain the ‘America Party’ in USA? As the world’s richest man clashes with Donald Trump, read about ‘third party curse’ in US politics
Billionaire Elon Musk, embroiled in a bitter feud with former ally, the US President Donald Trump, declared the formation of the “America Party” on July 5, 2025. The move, announced on his social media platform X, follows weeks of public clashes over Trump’s $3.3 trillion “One Big Beautiful Bill,” which Musk decries as fiscally catastrophic.
The America Party’s ambiguous platform
While lacking formal registration or a detailed policy platform, Musk’s America party leans heavily on three pillars, aggressive fiscal conservatism focused on slashing debt and “wasteful” spending, technological accelerationism promoting AI, robotics, and deregulation, particularly in energy, and a claim to represent the “80% in the middle” alienated by partisan extremes. Initial polling suggests potential interest, with 40% of voters (including 57% of male Republicans) expressing openness, though Musk’s personal favorability sits at a concerning -18.
Why third parties crumble: History’s lessons
However, the history of American third parties since 1776 paints a grim picture for Musk’s ambitions. The US political system has consistently smothered challengers. Landmark failures include Theodore Roosevelt’s Progressive “Bull Moose” Party, which won an impressive 27% of the popular vote in 1912 only to collapse immediately afterward. Another one is Ross Perot’s well-funded Reform Party surged to 19% in 1992 but faded rapidly without Perot at the helm. Modern persistent efforts like the Libertarian and Green parties have struggled for decades, collectively holding less than 1% of Congressional seats.
Apart from that, Structural barriers are immense. Ballot access alone is a logistical and legal nightmare, requiring millions of signatures under wildly varying state laws. California alone demands 1.1 million signatures or 75,000 registered members.
The “spoiler effect” is a powerful deterrent as well, as third parties often drain votes from ideologically aligned major parties, potentially handing elections to their opponents. A notable example of this is Ralph Nader’s Green Party which handed the florida to Bush in 2000. Furthermore, the financial and media dominance of the two major parties is overwhelming; they spent a combined $16 billion in the 2024 cycle, while third parties struggle for coverage without proven electoral viability.
Musk’s edge and limit
Mausk brings a unique advantage to table which is his $350+ billion fortune. Providing near unlimited self funding dwarfing even Perot’s self-financing. His ownership of X grants him direct, free access to over 220 million users, which helps him bypassing the gatkeeping of traditional media. His party’s strategy reportedly focuses on targeting just 2-3 Senate and 8-10 House races to exploit “razor-thin margins”.
Yet, experts remain deeply skeptical. Political scientist Bernard Tamas of Valdosta State University warns, “It’s not like running a business. You need a grassroots movement. Money isn’t enough.” Lee Drutman of the New America think tank echoes the historical pattern: “Third parties are spoilers. They sting like a bee, then die when major parties co-opt their ideas.” Trump himself has mocked the effort, stating, “Third parties have never succeeded. The system seems not designed for them.”
The verdict: a billionaire’s Waterloo?
While Musk’s crusade taps into genuine discontent 58% of Americans desire more parties the weight of history and the mechanics of the system heavily favor failure. His party risks splitting the Republican vote, potentially aiding Democrats in the short term, before fading as most insurgent parties do. For a man who conquered the automotive industry and space travel, the fortress of America’s two-party democracy may prove his ultimate unconquerable frontier. As one associate reportedly cautioned him: “It’s a tougher problem to fix than landing a rocket.”
Musk’s war on Washington mirrors the hubris of past wealthy outsiders, suggesting that even the world’s richest man might finally meet his match in the arena of American electoral politics.
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