Elon Musk focuses on backing JD Vance as Trump’s successor after he makes U-turn on third-party plan
WASHINGTON, DC: Elon Musk has dramatically reversed course on his plans to reshape US politics by launching a third party. Instead, he now plans to throw his financial weight behind Vice President JD Vance’s expected 2028 presidential run.
The shift comes after Musk, who spent nearly $300 million to help elect Donald Trump in 2024, had a high-profile fallout with the president earlier this year, publicly accusing him of being named in the Jeffrey Epstein files.
Elon Musk’s third-party push ended before it started
Elon Musk launched the America Party after conducting a July 4th online poll asking his followers whether he should start a new political movement. When 65.4% responded in favor, Musk declared the party’s creation. “By a factor of 2 to 1, you want a new political party and you shall have it!” he announced.
Criticizing the current political landscape as corrupt and ineffective, he proclaimed, “Today, the America Party is formed to give you back your freedom.” Despite the bold launch, the party quickly lost momentum and appears to have fizzled out before taking off.
Elon Musk backs Vice President JD Vance
Shifting gears, Musk has decided to refocus on his business ventures. According to The Wall Street Journal, he has grown cautious about alienating Republican allies.
Instead of pushing a third-party agenda, Musk has opted to align with other tech leaders backing Vice President JD Vance as Trump’s likely successor. With Trump unable to run again in 2028 due to term limits, Musk is now considering channeling his wealth into supporting Vance’s expected presidential campaign.
Musk would join a growing list of Silicon Valley power players, including Palantir CEO Peter Thiel, former PayPal COO David Sacks, Roku CEO Anthony Wood, and entrepreneur Palmer Luckey, who have already begun funding Vance. Recent polls position Vance as the clear front-runner for the 2028 Republican nomination.
Why did Elon Musk decide to backtrack on plans to launch a third party?
According to The Wall Street Journal, Elon Musk has been in regular contact with Vice President JD Vance in recent weeks and now believes that launching his proposed "America Party" ahead of the 2026 midterms could strain their growing relationship.
Critics also note that Musk has yet to take even basic steps toward building the party, such as securing ballot access or organizing a support network.
In a recent interview with The Gateway Pundit, Vance expressed hope that Musk would abandon the third-party idea altogether. “So my hope is that by the time of the midterms, he’s kind of come back into the fold,” Vance said, signaling a desire to keep Musk aligned with mainstream Republican efforts. Meanwhile, several figures who once supported Musk’s political ambitions have grown increasingly frustrated by his silence.
Billionaire investor Mark Cuban, who initially backed Musk’s third-party push, said he has received no updates. Others echoed similar sentiments. “It’s almost an eerie silence,” remarked Libertarian National Committee Chair Steven Nekhaila, whose party had attempted to collaborate with Musk. “It doesn’t seem like anything is moving, neither at the state level nor on the ground.”
Sources close to Musk revealed that he recently canceled a July meeting with a group specializing in organizing third-party campaigns. Attendees were told Musk intended to step back from political organizing to concentrate on his business ventures.
Despite his earlier public clash with Trump, Musk’s possible support for Vance is the latest signal that the vice president and former Ohio senator is positioning himself as Trump’s political heir.
Internet slams Elon Musk after he backtracks on plans to form a third party
Elon Musk is facing backlash online following reports that he has walked back plans to launch a third political party. Social media users criticized the billionaire for what they described as erratic behavior and inconsistency.
One user wrote, “Musk is definitely showing the world how unstable he is making grand announcements."
Another commenter took a more personal jab, saying, “I have never seen an uglier man than musk and in this case I mean just his face and flabby body. He has bad genes thats for sure.”
Some questioned Musk’s long-term commitment to his decisions. “Hmm, so how long before he changes his mind on that decision? He hasn’t learned to stay out of politics, has he?” one person asked.
“Musk wants to be the pres but he can’t for obvious reasons. He shouldn’t get involved directly in politics. What is he thinking? Just stick to what he knows and odes bet. He hasn’t got great human relations skills like Trump,” one user argued. “At times, he can be very cringey and unstable. And when he’s mad he can say things that he will regret later.”
Another suggested simply, “Maybe he should stick to rockets and leave politics alone.” And in a more humorous take, one individual joked, “Was he just afraid of being deported?”
This article contains remarks made on the internet by individual people and organizations. MEAWW cannot confirm them independently and does not support claims or opinions being made online
