Billionaire Elon Musk Fight with President Trump On his signature Tax and domestic policy lawMusk has changed his call again to launch a new political party – even a difficult task for the richest person on Earth.
Musk first launched a third party and said, “America Party,” earlier this monthA bad back and forth between the President and the CEO of Tesla which marks the potential end of his political alliance. Musk again considered this week as MPs ran to send a large beautiful bill act at Shri Trump’s desk – and this time, Musk took a time limit on the plan.
“If this crazy expense bill passes, the US party will be formed the next day,” Musk has written in one. Post on X Monday evening, hours before the bill Senate passed on Tuesday And Back home“Our country requires an option for a Democrat-Republican Unipti so that people really have a voice.”
It is not clear whether the Musk will follow through its pledge, but this idea can be said to be easier. If Musk decides to launch a new political party, it will have to struggle with complex state laws, time -consuming ballot access rules and a thick of intensive litigation.
“Only the richest person in the world can make a serious effort in creating a new American political party,” an experienced election lawyer Brett Cuppel told CBS News.
Navigating 50 different state laws – and federal rules
“Political parties are the creatures of the states,” Cuppel said.
Each state has different legal rules to identify which political parties may appear on the ballot, and it is difficult to “cross from high to exceptionally,” he said. In some cases, a newborn state party may require a large number of signatures to receive candidates on voting, and then win a certain percentage of votes in election cycles.
For example, To qualify in CaliforniaA new political party needs to sign up either 0.33% of the state’s voters – or about 75,000 people as registered members, or prescribe a signature from 1.1 million voters. After that, to be eligible, parties will have to either maintain that 0.33% registration limit or win at least 2% votes in the statewide race.
And to get recognized at the national level, every state-level political party will need One Advisory opinion From the Federal Election Commission.
These efforts will certainly face intensive pushbacks from Democratic and Republican parties, including legal challenges on signature in each state, requiring musk-or to spend money on any other aspiring third-party founder-Mukdamaji.
“State laws in all states are biased to two major political parties, and make it as much as possible for the emergence of the third political party,” Kappel told CBS News.
The process of forming a political party with national ambitions will also be the time to take time. Cuppel says this may be possible – although difficult – for musk to get some preferred candidates on ballot in some states, but is likely to form a completely new national party, and it will not be possible to until the midnight elections of 2026.
For evidence of how challenging the process is, do not look beyond the conflicts that existing third parties have faced. The Green Party and Libeterian party each established each decades ago, and Still attached Push in the state-by-state Ballot access And Party recognition,
“There are too much obstacles to create a new party and get it on ballot.
Musk campaign cash
The high cost of launching a political party cannot be a big stum for musk, which is more than $ 350 billion Forbes And Bloomberg Evaluation.
Tesla and SpaceX Leader A shocking spent $ 277 million to assist Mr. Trump and other Republican candidates in the 2024 election cycle. The wholesale of that expenditure was rooted through about $ 239 million, the US PAC, a political action committee established by Musk, which underlined a huge gate-out -ot attempt in the swing states.
Since then, Musk has indicated that he plans to dial his participation in politics. His tenure leads the cost-cut department of the government’s efficiency of the Trump administration. Ended in MayA month later Tesla shareholders His work with the federal government will “fall quite a lot.” He Also said In May, on the Qatar Economic Forum that he would “very little” political expenses to move forward, given that “currently does not see a reason” to open his wallet.
If Musk follows through his proposal to launch a competitor for two mainstream parties, it will mark an expensive return to the field – and the laws around the law to finance it are complicated.
Before new political parties are formally recognized, they are usually held as profit-profit groups, and their financial backcars do not face any dollar limit for their donations, Cuppel. But once a party gets national recognition, there will be a donor like Musk FEC CA cap On political contribution. Currently, individuals can give only $ 10,000 per year to a state political party, or a National Party Committee is called $ 44,300 per year, FEC.
When organizations are subjected to those boundaries, the rules are Byzantine. About two decades ago, FEC A group said that is called Unity 08 – The purpose whose aim is to make a bipartisan presidential ticket – must be registered as a political committee if it spends more than $ 1,000 to get ballots. After a long legal battle, an appeal court Reverse that decision,
Another way to increase political influence for musk will be through America PAC. The group is held as a super PAC, which allows the musk to donate unlimited amounts, but the group requires the group Be officially independent From candidates or political parties.
Even when he told about launching the third party, this week Musk contained that he could continue to be engaged in Republican politics. Billionaire suggested He will face primary challenges against GOP MPs who voted for a large beautiful bill act. He vowed to support a Kentaki Republican, Rape Thomas Massey, who voted against the bill and facing trump-supported. Primary competition,
For his share, the President has said in recent times that Musk seems to be “troubled” that his signature and domestic policy bills will phase the electric vehicle tax credit – which may be that may be. Cost Tesla ArabsSome criticisms of the bill of the bill have focused on their steep cuts for green energy encouragement, although they have also argued that the bill is very expensive.
“I think Elon is a wonderful boy, and I know he is always going to do well,” Mr. Trump told Fox News’ Maria Bartiromo in an interview on Sunday. “But he got a little disturbed, and it was not appropriate.”
