Elon Musk stops big plans

Last month, Tesla CEO publicly announced that he would form the America Party to represent American voters who are dissatisfied with the two current major parties. Photo: New York Times .

Musk has told allies that he wants to focus on running his companies and does not want to upset powerful Republican figures by creating a third party that would split GOP votes, the Wall Street Journal reported.

The move is a significant departure from earlier last month, when the billionaire announced he would form the America Party to represent American voters dissatisfied with the two major parties.

During the deliberations, the Tesla CEO placed particular emphasis on maintaining a relationship with Vice President JD Vance, who is seen as a potential successor to Trump's MAGA movement.

Musk has been in touch with Vance in recent weeks, confiding to some associates that forming his own party could hurt his relationship with the vice president.

Several sources said that the Tesla CEO and his associates are considering using their huge financial resources to support Vance if he runs for president in 2028. In the 2024 election, Musk spent nearly $300 million to support Trump and other Republican candidates.

For Vance, retaining Musk's support could be crucial to his presidential ambitions. Photo: Ansafoto.

Musk’s close associates insist that he hasn’t officially ruled out forming a new party and could change his mind as the midterm elections approach. But so far, they haven’t approached prominent figures who have publicly endorsed the idea of a new political party or groups that could help get it on the ballot in key states.

A meeting with an organization that runs third-party campaigns in late July was canceled. Attendees were told that Musk wanted to focus on his business.

If the Tesla CEO does indeed shelve the plan, Republicans will have an advantage ahead of next year’s midterm elections. In the past, third parties have often taken votes away from the two major parties, according to the Wall Street Journal.

For Vance, keeping Musk on his side could be key to his presidential ambitions. In 2024, Musk’s political action committee, America PAC, spent millions of dollars in battleground states like Pennsylvania to help Trump win.

When asked, a Vance spokesman quoted the vice president in an interview with the Gateway Pundit earlier this month, in which Vance asserted that distancing himself from Trump and the conservative movement was a mistake. “I hope that by the time the midterms come around, he’ll be back with us,” the vice president said.

Musk has previously clashed publicly with Trump, with the Tesla CEO saying the president would have difficulty holding the White House without his support and criticizing the spending and tax package Trump pushed.

In July, the billionaire told his more than 200 million followers on X that he would form the America Party with the goal of running for the House and Senate next year. Musk argued that the Trump-backed bill included too much government spending.

As head of the Department of Government Efficiency before leaving the Trump administration at the end of May, Musk even threatened to back candidates against Republicans who voted for him.

Despite their war of words, there are signs that Trump and Musk have temporarily “ceasefired.” The two sides have stopped attacking each other on social media. Trump even posted on Truth Social in late July that he wants the Tesla CEO and his companies to “thrive,” calling it good for America.

Trump had previously said he could terminate Musk’s federal contracts. However, after a review, the Trump administration determined that most of SpaceX’s contracts were vital to the Department of Defense and NASA. SpaceX could also benefit from an executive order Trump signed last week that eased the licensing process for rocket flights.

Source: https://znews.vn/elon-musk-hoan-ke-hoach-lap-dang-moi-post1578363.html