It’s true — every attempt to start a third party in the modern era has ended poorly. Ross Perot poured millions into his Reform Party only to see it peak with his 1992 presidential run before it faded into obscurity by the end of the decade. Centrist No Labels failed to field a nominee in 2024 after months of bluster. Andrew Yang’s Forward Party fails to gain a foothold today because it stands against the two-party system for nothing in particular.
Also true: No one with $400 billion or Elon Musk’s track record of innovation has ever attempted to start a third party.
To be sure, Musk is down in the court of public opinion — and deservedly so. But a man of his means, moxie, and imagination cannot be easily dismissed. A Tuesday Washington Examiner report revealed that top Republicans have begun to fret over Musk’s America Party — as well they should.
And is that such a bad thing?
Republicans have stewed over the possibly harmful effects of Musk’s new venture. Some have even raised the prospect of deporting Musk. And while I am no fan of the SpaceX mogul, these reactions strike me as weak-minded and contrary to values long championed by the GOP.
President Donald Trump’s reaction rang particularly hollow.
“Third parties have never succeeded in the United States,” Trump posted, saying they cause only “Complete and Total DISRUPTION & CHAOS.”
He then went on to call Musk a “TRAINWRECK” who has gone “completely off the rails.”
If this sounds familiar, it’s because these very same charges were levied against Trump during his first run. The political establishment ridiculed Trump as having no shot at winning. They branded him a chaos agent and accused him of going “off the rails.”
The charges appeared self-evidently true then. But Trump overcame the odds to become arguably the most consequential president of the 21st century.
In fact, Trump’s role as a chaos agent stands to go down as one of his greatest achievements. Since descending the golden escalator in 2015, Trump has shaken up the stale political landscape like a snow globe, causing factions to swirl and settle in ways that benefited the Republican Party and the country. Trump not only reshaped the GOP agenda, as evidenced in his One Big Beautiful Bill Act, but he also provided a permission structure for speaking previously unutterable truths about economics, war, culture, and politics.
He deserves our gratitude for that. It is great that he had the opportunity to prove his doubters wrong, including yours truly.
But there’s a snowflake-y element to all this hand-wringing. Do conservatives no longer believe that healthy competition breeds excellence? If the America Party is really as half-baked as Republicans claim, Trump will enjoy smashing it to pieces. Is this not the same man and movement that single-handedly slayed both major parties?
The competition Trump faced over three primary contests and general elections sharpened his political acumen and discipline. The challenge made him and the party stronger. He and the Republicans should relish the opportunity to hone their craft even more.
We don’t know what the America Party will look like — what it will stand for, who will be its leaders. I doubt I’ll ever vote for it (though I did once say the same thing about Trump’s GOP). But I embrace the challenge it poses to my beliefs and the current political structure.
REPUBLICANS FRET OVER MUSK’S ‘AMERICA PARTY’ THREAT: ‘TAKE IT SERIOUS’
However it fares, this new party will serve a quintessentially American purpose by fulfilling a high, unmet demand. The public wants a viable third option, however wise or foolish that might be. This is overwhelmingly true of independent voters and even roughly half of self-identifying Republicans and Democrats. If it’s a dumb idea, the free market of ideas will flush it down the toilet.
What could be more American than that?
