Can the America Party win?

The billionaire tech tycoon asked his 222 million Twitter followers this week if “it is time to create a new political party in America that actually represents the 80 per cent in the middle?”

His latest entry into politics follows his high-profile falling out with Donald Trump, having been an effervescent supporter of the president during his election campaign, and then the leader of the Department of Government Efficiency.

His latest entry into politics follows his high-profile falling out with Donald Trump, having been an effervescent supporter of the president during his election campaign, and then the leader of the Department of Government Efficiency.

The pair fell out over Mr Trump’s so-called Big, Beautiful Bill and have since traded barbs.

Here is what we know so far.

What values would The America Party have?

Mr Musk has positioned The America Party as “centrist” and focused on reducing the deficit.

Further policies include reducing debt, promoting AI, free speech, and encouraging more people to have children. Mr Musk has not stated these himself but rather responded with enthusiasm to a tweet suggesting the ideas.

Can Elon Musk be president?

Under current rules, no. Mr Musk was born in South Africa and therefore falls foul of the rule that all candidates must be born in the US.

It is unlikely that the Republican or Democratic Party would change the ruling to suit Mr Musk, if it will allow him to pose a threat to them.

Mr Trump has threatened to "take a look" at deporting his friend-turned rival, although this is a far cry from actually happening.

Nevertheless, it is unclear who could lead The America Party or who a presidential candidate could be - and there would no doubt be huge influence from Mr Musk if he was bankrolling the operation.

How likely is it to succeed?

Mr Musk is valued at somewhere between $300 and $500 billion and would have enough personal capital to get the party established.

He is also the most followed person on Twitter (which he owns) and would have easy access to any number of press events given his personal brand and stature.

But there the problems start. Mr Musk is ineligible to stand and would need to find a suitable candidate with an ability and the experience to appeal beyond the established parties.

It is not yet known who will stand in 2028, but Mr Musk would have only three years to establish the party from scratch and convince voters that this is a serious, and capable option.

Oddschecker has current vice president JD Vance as favourite for the 2028 election with Mr Trump second, despite stating he will not seek an unconstitutional third term.

The Democratic frontrunner is Gavin Newsom, the 57-year-old governor of California.

Mr Musk is not even on a list of potential candidates that contains outliers and ultra long shots such as golfer Tiger Woods, rapper Kanye West, and actor Dwayne Johnson.

John Scardino, from Democrats Abroad, told LBC that he thinks it will not pose any threat.

“I do think it’s a threat to the Republicans but not the two party system and that’s due to the electoral college.

“When it comes to elections, the winner gets all the votes from the state no matter how much they win by, and even a candidate with 20 per cent of the overall vote could still not get any college votes.”

How have other third-party efforts fared in the US?

The two-party system is so established in the American way of life that it even spawned a joke on The Simpsons where an alien is elected as president for want of an alternative.

While each US election sees a string of celebrity or leftfield candidates putting themselves forward, they do not often get a large enough vote share to trouble the status quo.

In 1968, George Wallace of the American Independent Party won five seats and a 13 per cent vote share - with strong support in the south of the country.

Further efforts to get off the ground have included the Constitution Party and the, confusingly named, American Party of the United States.

The Libertarian Party has 700,000 members but does not hold any seats within any level of government. The Green Party of the United States has around 250,000 members.

The vote share for all non Republican and Democratic candidates at a US presidential election is usually around 1-3 per cent, which could potentially impact a very tight count.

In 2024, it was slightly more than 1 per cent - with Green candidate Jill Stein taking around 862,000 votes for third, to the 75 million taken by second-place Kamala Harris and 77 million by winner Donald Trump.

What has Donald Trump said about The America Party?

The president appeared calm and relaxed in fielding questions about Mr Musk’s chances.

Stepping off the golf course, he said from under a jumbo baseball cap: “Third parties have never worked, so he can have fun with it but I think it’s ridiculous.

“We have had tremendous success with the Republican Party. The Democrats have lost their way but we have always had a two party system. I think starting a third party adds to confusion.”