WASHINGTON
Tech billionaire Elon Musk is stepping back from plans to launch a third US political party, according to The Wall Street Journal. The Tesla and SpaceX CEO, politically active since last year and a major donor to former President Donald Trump, announced in July his intention to form the “America Party” to challenge both Democrats and Republicans.
Insiders say Musk now focuses on his businesses and wants to avoid alienating key Republicans. His advisers urged him to return attention to Tesla, SpaceX, and other ventures after the companies faced setbacks during his political activities.
Musk continues to maintain ties with Vice President JD Vance, a rising figure in Trump’s MAGA movement. He understands that pursuing a new party could harm this relationship and has considered financially supporting Vance if he runs for president in 2028, after spending nearly $300 million backing Trump and Republican candidates in 2024.
Although Trump cannot run for a third term, he has publicly speculated about staying politically active. Vance emphasized the importance of remaining aligned with Trump and expressed hope that Musk “comes back into the fold” by the 2026 midterms, when dozens of Senate and House seats will be contested.
Musk’s outreach to third-party organizers, including the Libertarian Party, has stalled. “It’s almost an eerie silence,” said Libertarian National Committee chair Steven Nekhaila.
While Musk has not ruled out reviving the America Party before the 2026 elections, his pause benefits Republicans, who feared a third party could split votes in key battleground states.
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