{"id":267103,"date":"2025-07-08T14:14:23","date_gmt":"2025-07-08T12:14:23","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/peoplespost\/?p=267103"},"modified":"2025-07-14T12:37:57","modified_gmt":"2025-07-14T10:37:57","slug":"political-experts-even-without-wins-musks-new-party-could-hurt-trump","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/peoplespost\/political-experts-even-without-wins-musks-new-party-could-hurt-trump\/","title":{"rendered":"Political experts: Even without wins, Musk\u2019s new party could hurt Trump"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
Donald Trump called Elon Musk\u2019s plans for a new political party \u201cridiculous\u201d \u2013 but experts say the announcement shows just how much trouble the billionaire could cause for Republicans trying to hold onto their slim control of Congress.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Musk launched his \u201cAmerica Party\u201d over the weekend, right after Trump signed a massive spending bill that Musk has heavily criticised for adding to the national debt.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
While Musk hasn\u2019t shared many policy details yet, he\u2019s expected to target specific House and Senate races in next year\u2019s midterm elections. He\u2019ll likely focus on Republicans who voted for Trump\u2019s spending bill after previously talking about being careful with government money.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cElon Musk\u2019s America Party could really shake up the 2026 midterms, especially for Republicans,\u201d said Matt Shoemaker, a political analyst who used to run for Congress as a Republican and worked in intelligence.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cRepublicans barely control Congress right now, so they should definitely be worried.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\nDonald Trump and Elon Musk are again waging war, as Musk heads-up a new political party. PHOTO: AFP<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
Musk has money and influence<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Musk is the richest person in the world. He had been talking about starting a new party for weeks and even ran a social media poll in June. About 80% of the 5.6 million people who responded supported the idea.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Unlike other third parties that have tried before, Musk\u2019s party would have almost unlimited money. Plus, Musk himself is popular with many young American men who see him as a brilliant outsider and celebrity.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cMusk appeals to independent voters who are fed up with politics, and younger, tech-savvy people who might normally vote Republican in close races,\u201d Shoemaker told AFP.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Musk is worth about $405 billion and has already shown he\u2019s willing to spend big on politics. He gave $277 million to Trump\u2019s 2024 campaign.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
But his recent effort in Wisconsin politics shows that money and fame don\u2019t guarantee success. He spent $20 million trying to get his preferred candidate elected to the state supreme court, and that person lost badly.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
There\u2019s also the challenge of winning over regular voters across America who aren\u2019t part of Musk\u2019s Silicon Valley tech world.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Musk used to be popular with many Americans, but his approval ratings dropped after he joined Trump\u2019s administration as a cost-cutting advisor.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
According to respected pollster Nate Silver, Musk\u2019s approval rating is now at -18.1, which is actually worse than Trump\u2019s -6.6.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cThe Republican base and Trump supporters are pretty much the same group these days,\u201d said Flavio Hickel, a political science professor at Washington College in Maryland.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cTrump supporters have stuck with him through all kinds of controversies. It\u2019s hard to imagine Musk pulling votes away from people who still support Donald Trump.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\nElon Musk has Donald Trump hot around the collar about his newly established America Party. (PHOTO: Allison Robbert \/ AFP)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
Third parties rarely win<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
While many politicians have left the Republican and Democratic parties to become independents, third parties almost never win elections in modern America.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Only two minor parties have won Senate seats in the last 100 years: the Conservative Party of New York State in the 1970s and the Farmer\u2013Labor Party in the 1930s.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Smaller parties had more success in the House of Representatives in the early 1900s, but have only won one seat since the 1950s.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Political experts point out that third-party candidates face many obstacles just to get on the ballot. Each state has different rules about things like how many signatures you need, filing fees, and requirements about age and residency.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cRemember the \u2018No Labels\u2019 party from early 2024?\u201d said veteran political strategist Matt Klink. \u201cThey were supposed to offer a middle-ground choice for voters, but they completely fell apart.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Could still cause problems for Republicans<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Most analysts agree that winning congressional seats would be very difficult for Musk\u2019s party. But they say he could still hurt Trump by taking votes away from vulnerable Republicans or spending money to support primary challengers against candidates Trump prefers.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cElon\u2019s party probably won\u2019t win seats, but it could cost Republicans a lot,\u201d said Evan Nierman, who runs the crisis PR firm Red Banyan.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cIn close races, even losing a few percentage points to a third party could flip control of important districts.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
What this means<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
The big question is whether Musk can turn his online popularity and massive wealth into real political power. Even if his party doesn\u2019t win elections, it could make life much harder for Republicans who are already dealing with very narrow majorities in Congress.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
For Trump, having a former ally with unlimited resources potentially working against him adds another layer of complexity to an already challenging political landscape.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Donald Trump called Elon Musk\u2019s plans for a new political party \u201cridiculous\u201d \u2013 but experts say the announcement shows just how much trouble the billionaire could cause for 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![\"Donald](\"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/peoplespost\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/Donald-Trump-1024x683.jpg\")
![\"Elon](\"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/peoplespost\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/AFP__20250530__48PC9XY__v1__MidRes__DonaldTrumpToHoldPressConferenceWithElonMusk-1024x683.jpg\")