He has resources but strong organisation is needed to impact 2026 midterm
By T N Ashok
NEW YORK: The United States is moving to a 3-party system as rest of the world of multiple political parties, in its 250th year of independence celebrations. US has two parties – the democrats who are called as socialists or liberals for favouring an egalitarian society where the under privileged get their due share and the Republicans who are tilting far too right to give benefits only to the super rich calling them enterprising to grow wealth of the country without caring whether it is leading to inequality. Now the richest man of the world Elon Musk has announced his decision to float his own Party “America Party”.
Tech billionaire Elon Musk, after his tiff with US President Donald Trump on whom he spent a good $280m million to make him win the polls in 2024 after his being down in the dumps, has now decided to launch his own party called the America Party, which only seeks to correct what he thinks is President Trump’s faulty policy in giving huge tax breaks to the rich but not raising enough revenues to balance the budget, which is hitting a whopping $3.3 trillion and ballooning the debt limit to $5 trillion in the next 10 years
Musk thinks Trump will bankrupt the nation. Musk is not too concerned about 11.8 million being pushed out of the health care net by slashes in Medicaid, – Food Credits, by saving $1 trillion, still not enough to plug the hole in the budget deficit.
Let us analyse if America is ready for a three-party system because the people have no clue as to what the third party really stands for. This Musk Party is also based on the Republican ideals and model of favouring the rich, so what it is going to do for the most affected populations of the middle classes, who remain muddled in between the democrats, who are not fighting strong enough for their rights and Republicans who are out to abide by what Trump says.
What is the potential of Musk’s proposed party to disrupt the two-party system? While third parties traditionally struggle in the US, Musk’s financial resources and visibility could give his party a platform to challenge the dominance of the Democrats and Republicans. Now that is easier said than done, because it has taken 250 years for the two parties to win the election cycles .the third parties before having fallen by the wayside. The greens never had it. The libertines never made it.
The America Party could focus on a select number of Senate and House seats to act as a “deciding vote” on key legislation, impacting the balance of power in Congress.
Some experts suggest that the America Party could attract voters who might otherwise support Republican candidates, potentially leading to Democrats winning seats. But it all depends on whether democratic vote banks, fooled by Trump voted him in 2024 on promises of lower prices and healthy economy and more jobs and relief for the middle classes will shift to the democratic vote base again or split with one half going for the Musk party and the other for the democratic traditional strongholds.
In 2025 Trump has established that the Republican Party is him and anyone challenging him is out of the Party.. It’s not the 2017 GOP election cycle where the Republicans let Trump into White House. Trump is now setting his own agenda and that is becoming the agenda of the Republican Party as a whole. The dissenting Republicans also know that the MAGA base is with Trump and he is the one who can take the GOP to victory against the Democrats.
Musk has indicated he may support primary challengers against Republican lawmakers, who supported the recently passed tax-cut and spending bill. But that’s not enough to get votes, he must win the democratic stronghold outs, which are threatening to return back home in the 2026 midterms.
Under another scenario, if Musk gets enough seats leaving both parties without the requisite numbers to form the majority in the House, then he has enough bargaining power with Trump to get what he wants – what if the promises again remain on paper only and he gets betrayed once again. So, his aim would be to oust Trump, who cannot get a 3rd term under the constitution, though FDR got it after he pulled out the economy from the economic depression of the 1930’s.
Musk also may back a new Republican Party leader like, Niki Haley, who will appeal to far right, liberals, moderates, or someone who can challenge the charisma of Gavin Newsom, tipped to be the frontrunner for democratic presidency in 2028 elections after his feud with Trump in California over the immigration crackdown. But no Musk supporter believes he will support Niki Haley after he dumped Vivek Ramaswamy from the DOGE where he finally had to quit.
People close to Musk say. he is a South African still, and too much of a racist to support any immigrant as a leader. – He would rather choose a White as leader of the party who has the gumption to challenge Trump,. Someone like Thom Tillis, who opposed the BBB on grounds of Medicare cuts.
The U.S. has a highly disgruntled immigration population who feel let down by Trump and his policies, another section of middle classes on prices, yet another on cuts to health care and food subsidies – Musk cannot win them over. If splitting Republican votes is the only objective , then he has a point, but GOP is led by Trump, how many will be bold enough to cross the Red Line?
With tight margins in many congressional races, even a small number of votes drawn away by the America Party could swing outcomes in favour of the Democrats. However, it is important for Musk to build the organization of his new Party strong enough before the November 2026 midterm elections. Trump has resources and friends across the Wall Street but that does not lead to the number of party workers at base level. Trump is very vindictive. He keeps close watch on Musk’s businessmen friends. It is difficult to run business in America by antagonizing Trump.
Musk has a tough task at hand. He has to move fast if he wants to get real dividends by exploiting the resentment among the Republican base against Trump. The future is uncertain. Next few months will show whether Musk’s Party will emerge as a full-fledged political party able to play any meaningful role in the American politics. (IPA Service)
