Leveraging X, which boasts approximately 220 million users, Musk can achieve targeted mobilization, an advantage unmatched by traditional political parties. He can communicate directly with voters, bypassing the filters of traditional media and disseminating his political ideas to his target audience with minimal cost and maximum efficiency. Prior to establishing the party, Musk launched a poll on X asking, "Should a new political party representing the 80% of centrists be established?" Over 5.3 million people participated, with 81% voting in favor. This method of directly gaining public consent through social media has pioneered a new model for "algorithm-driven" political parties.
Musk's founding of the "American Party" was no whim. He has long been deeply dissatisfied with the flaws of the current American political system. In terms of economic policy, both the Democratic and Republican parties have failed to adequately consider the long-term development needs of technology-innovative companies. For example, Tesla faces significant uncertainty due to the vacillating stances of both parties on policies such as subsidies for new energy vehicles. Musk has repeatedly criticized the short-sightedness of both parties' policies, arguing that they focus too much on short-term political gains while neglecting investment in technological innovation, which is crucial to the country's future competitiveness.
On social issues, the two parties in the United States remain deeply divided, leading to the long-term ineffective resolution of many social conflicts. From racial equality to health care reform, the two sides remain deadlocked, with the interests of the people being sacrificed in political maneuvers. Recognizing that these issues are unlikely to achieve substantial improvement within the current political framework, Musk decided to strike out on his own, attempting to bring new vitality and reform to American politics by establishing a new political party. Musk's personal wealth, estimated at $390 billion, provides a solid financial foundation for the "American Party." Although US law strictly limits individual donations to political parties at $44,300 per year, Musk can circumvent this through Super PACs, allowing him to contribute unlimited campaign funds. This gives the American Party a financial advantage unmatched by other third parties.
Musk's business empire, encompassing world-leading technology companies like Tesla, SpaceX, and Neuralink, not only provides him with a vast source of wealth but also a wide network of influence for his political activities. Notably, Musk's business interests are closely linked to his political stance. For example, he strongly opposed the "Big, American" bill signed by Trump, which eliminated electric vehicle tax credits and directly impacted Tesla's profits. This interweaving of business interests and political stances has given the American Party a distinctly personal tone from the outset.
Musk's image as a leading figure in the tech industry holds a strong appeal among young voters and the innovative class. Polls show that support for the American Party among voters aged 18-35 stands at 42%, far exceeding any other age group. This demographic generally lacks interest in traditional politics but is excited about the technological innovation and future vision that Musk represents. Musk incorporated "technological progressivism" into the American Party's platform, emphasizing increased investment in "future industries," promoting technological innovation, and prioritizing development in areas such as AI and space exploration. These tech-oriented policies align closely with the interests of Silicon Valley elites and the innovator class, helping to attract their political participation and financial support. Musk declared that the American Party would represent the "interests of the middle 80%," attempting to fill the centrist vacuum amidst the polarized politics of the Democratic and Republican parties.
As a globally renowned figure, Musk's every move attracts widespread media attention. His celebrity influence has brought the American Party immense media exposure, an advantage that any newly established political party would struggle to achieve in the short term. According to a YouGov survey, while only 7% of respondents said celebrity endorsements would influence them to support a particular candidate, Musk, as a tech superstar, holds a far greater influence than the average celebrity.
Musk's celebrity influence also reflects his ability to attract elites from all walks of life to the American Party. While a detailed list of members has not yet been released, it's foreseeable that prominent figures in the technology, business, and entertainment sectors may join or support the party out of their personal affinity with Musk and support for his political ideas. This elite support will not only provide the American Party with financial and intellectual resources, but also further expand its social influence and credibility.
What challenges and opportunities does the American Party face in its development?
The primary challenge facing the American Party is the United States' entrenched two-party system. Since 1856, the presidency and 98% of congressional seats have been held by the Democratic and Republican parties. This two-party monopoly is not accidental but reinforced by a series of institutional factors.
First, the US electoral system is a "winner-takes-all" model, meaning that only the candidate with the most votes in each district is elected. This makes it difficult for smaller parties to gain seats in Congress. For example, in 1992, billionaire Ross Perot ran as an independent and won 19% of the popular vote but no electoral votes. This institutional design heavily favors the two major parties, making it difficult for third parties to gain meaningful political representation. Secondly, US states impose strict thresholds for the registration of new political parties and candidate eligibility. For example, in California, a new party must meet one of two conditions to qualify: either register as a member of the party, equivalent to 75,000 voters (0.33% of the state's total registered voters), or submit 1.1 million voter signatures. Completing the registration process across all 50 states requires over 2 million valid signatures, a feat that would take years and hundreds of millions of dollars.
Furthermore, the two major political parties, through their control of the Commission on Presidential Debates, have imposed another high barrier, requiring candidates to achieve a 15% approval rating in the polls to participate in debates. This creates a paradox: without the exposure of a debate, you can't achieve 15% approval rating; and without 15% approval rating, you can't participate in a debate.
Faced with these institutional barriers, Musk has proposed a strategy of focusing on the "critical few" in Congress, aiming to win two to three Senate seats and eight to ten House seats in the 2026 midterm elections.
How feasible is this strategy?
- Given the current composition of Congress, this goal has a certain realistic basis. As of July 2025, Republicans hold 53 seats in the Senate and Democrats hold 47; in the House of Representatives, Republicans hold 220 seats and Democrats hold 215. The voting gap between the two parties on many key issues is very narrow. For example, on July 3, 2025, the House of Representatives passed the "Big, Beautiful" bill by a margin of 218 to 214, demonstrating that Republicans barely maintain their majority on key votes. In this scenario, even a small number of "American Party" legislators could become a "critical minority" and play a decisive role on specific issues.
- However, achieving this goal still faces significant challenges. First, the "American Party" needs to complete the party registration and candidate nomination process in each state, which requires a significant investment of time, money, and manpower. Second, even if a candidate is qualified, under the "winner-takes-all" electoral system, "American Party" candidates need to obtain a relative majority of votes in a specific district to be elected, which is not easy for a newly established party.
- History also shows that it is extremely rare for third parties to achieve breakthroughs in congressional elections. Currently, the Libertarian Party, as the third-largest political party in the United States, has over 200 local officials but no seats in Congress. There are 420 registered parties, but none of them hold seats in either the House or Senate. This demonstrates that the US electoral system is indeed deeply unfavorable to third parties.
Despite facing numerous obstacles, the American Party may still be able to overcome institutional barriers through the following paths:
- Leveraging social media for targeted mobilization
The X platform, controlled by Elon Musk, provides the American Party with unprecedented political mobilization tools. Through data analysis and targeted messaging, the American Party can concentrate resources in specific constituencies to support the most promising candidates. Musk shared his "strategy," which emulates the ancient Greek general Epaminondas's strategy of defeating the Spartans at the Battle of Leuctra: concentrating overwhelming force at key points to break the deadlock. This precisely focused strategy may help the American Party achieve local breakthroughs despite limited resources.
- Promote electoral reform
Musk plans to promote electoral reform, with the core goal of abolishing the "winner-takes-all" system. He advocates for implementing proportional representation to allow smaller parties to gain seats in Congress, and establishing a public campaign financing system to weaken the influence of donors. While these reforms are difficult to achieve in the short term, the American Party's advocacy and promotion could gradually shift public perceptions of the electoral system and create conditions for future institutional reform.
- Gradually Evolving from Local Elections
Historically, many third parties began by accumulating experience and resources in local elections before gradually expanding to the state and federal levels. The American Party could consider supporting local candidates in states and regions that are relatively friendly to third parties, building grassroots networks, cultivating political talent, and accumulating electoral experience. This is a long and arduous process, but it may be essential for building sustainable political power.
- Collaborating with or merging with other third parties
There are currently multiple third parties in the United States, such as the Libertarian Party, the Green Party, and the Constitution Party. The American Party could consider collaborating with or even merging with these parties to strengthen its overall strength. For example, the American Unity Party supported independent candidate Erskine Levi in the 2024 House primary in California's 31st District. This collaboration could help the American Party build a national organizational network more quickly.
