Opinion Elon Musk’s break up routine: A brand new political party

After the breakup comes the glow-up. Two people have a falling-out, harsh words are exchanged, and at least one of the parties sets out to show that they can do better. In the case of two rich and powerful men duking it out in public, following one of the most predictable separations in recent history — the White House can simultaneously accommodate only so many egos above a certain size, after all — the stakes are that much bigger. The others can keep their post-breakup revenge dresses and bright red sports cars: Bolstered by the response to a Fourth of July poll on his social media platform X, Elon Musk has minted himself a whole new political party as a challenge to former BFF Donald Trump and his Republican Party.

Musk has a history of using polls on X to make major decisions, whether it was buying Twitter or reinstating Trump’s account on the platform. Politics, however, requires more than just an online constituency of bots and fans. But there is another reason Musk’s chosen form of payback is surprising. Just before relinquishing his position as head of the Department of Government Efficiency, the billionaire had been candid in his appraisal of politics in Washington, DC, describing it as a “pain” in interviews. That his companies, especially Tesla, apparently paid the price for his political preoccupations didn’t help either.

Advertisement

Already, the announcement of Musk’s new America Party has seen Tesla stocks tumble, threatening to wipe nearly $70 billion off the firm’s value. As he resumes his hostile exchanges with the US President — who has dismissed the formation of the new party as “ridiculous” — Musk’s decision seems less a well-considered attempt to disrupt politics as usual, and more the kind of angry riposte more frequently seen on a school playground.