Elon Musk is quietly scaling back plans to launch his new America Party, The Wall Street Journal reported in August 2025, citing people familiar with the matter. Musk has told allies he wants to focus on his companies and avoid alienating powerful Republicans, and he is considering backing Vice President JD Vance if Vance runs for president in 2028.
Musk pauses plans for a new political party, keeps ties with Vice President JD Vance
Billionaire Elon Musk is quietly pumping the brakes on his plan to launch a third political party, The Wall Street Journal reported on Tuesday, Aug. 19, 2025, citing people familiar with the matter.
According to the Journal, Musk has told allies he wants to focus on his companies and is reluctant to alienate powerful Republicans. The report said he is also considering using some of his financial resources to support Vice President JD Vance if Vance runs for president in 2028.
Reuters, which reported on the Journal’s story, said it could not immediately verify the report. Tesla and the White House did not immediately respond to requests for comment.
Why Musk announced the America Party
Musk announced the America Party in early July 2025, shortly after President Donald Trump signed his tax-cut and spending bill, which Trump called the “big, beautiful bill,” into law. Musk had strongly opposed the bill, arguing it would add heavily to the federal deficit, and had lobbied against it.
“Today, the America Party is formed to give you back your freedom,” Musk wrote on X at the time, after posting a poll asking his followers whether they wanted a new party. “By a factor of 2 to 1, you want a new political party and you shall have it!”
The announcement came after a public falling-out between Musk and Trump. Musk had been one of Trump’s biggest donors in the 2024 election and later led the administration’s Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) effort before leaving government in the spring.
The Vance factor
Maintaining a good relationship with Vance gives Musk a channel to the administration without the cost of a public split on the political right. A new party competing for the same voters and donors could also complicate Republican efforts in close races, a concern GOP strategists raised when Musk first floated the idea.
Vance is widely seen as a leading contender for the Republican presidential nomination in 2028, although he has not announced a campaign.
The challenges of building a new party
Starting a national party in the United States is difficult and expensive. It requires meeting ballot access rules in every state, which differ in their signature requirements and filing deadlines, as well as building fundraising and campaign operations that comply with federal election law. With the 2026 midterm elections approaching, any new party would have limited time to get organized.
The Journal’s report suggested that Musk could keep the party option open for the future while focusing for now on his businesses, which include Tesla, SpaceX and his artificial intelligence company xAI.
What to watch
Musk has not formally ended the America Party, and he has changed course on political matters before. Observers will be watching whether he resumes spending in the 2026 midterms, which candidates or causes he chooses to support, and whether his relationship with Trump and Vance continues to improve.
Source: KSL (Wall Street Journal report)
