Elon Musk is backing away from launching a political party, telling associates he wants to keep his focus on his companies and avoid alienating Republicans by pulling voters from the GOP.
Musk has weighed the risks of creating a new party while maintaining ties with Vice President JD Vance. People familiar with the matter said Musk has stayed in touch with Vance in recent weeks and admitted that starting a party could damage that relationship. Musk and his allies have also told confidants that he may use part of his fortune to support Vance if he runs for president in 2028.
The move marks a shift from last month, when he declared he would form the “America Party” as an alternative for voters dissatisfied with both major parties.
A spokesman for Vance pointed to an interview with the Gateway Pundit earlier this month, where the vice president cautioned against splitting from Trump and the conservative movement. “So my hope is that by the time of the midterms, he’s kind of come back into the fold,” Vance said.
Tensions have eased since Musk and Trump’s public clash, with both men refraining from public criticism. Trump wrote on Truth Social in late July that he hopes Musk and his companies “thrive,” calling their success good for the country.
Trump had previously floated terminating Musk’s federal contracts, but a government review found most of SpaceX’s agreements were critical to the Pentagon and NASA, according to the WSJ.
Source: The Wall Street Journal
