"Small and Refined" Challenges "Big and Beautiful"? Musk Launches New Party

Elon Musk, a billionaire who has had a falling out with Trump over issues such as the "Big and Beautiful" bill, announced on July 5 via Twitter (X) that he is establishing a new "American Party," aiming to "return freedom to you." Born in South Africa, Musk cannot run for president of the United States, but he has stated that the new party's goal is to secure a few congressional seats, thereby playing a key role in controversial bills.

Musk wrote on his social media platform X (formerly Twitter), "Given that our country is heading toward bankruptcy due to waste and corruption, we are living under a one-party system rather than a democratic system." Musk did not specify what role he would play in the new party. According to the U.S. Constitution, Musk, born in South Africa, cannot become president. However, as the world's richest person, Musk believes he has the ability to influence federal and state-level elections. It is estimated that Musk has about $360 billion in assets.

During last year's presidential election, Musk provided more than $250 million in funding to Trump's campaign. After Trump took office, Musk even formed the "Department of Government Efficiency," drastically cutting budgets of various government departments and firing government employees, which caused significant controversy. However, later, Musk strongly criticized Trump over the "Big and Beautiful" tax cut bill, and Trump retaliated with sharp words. Musk even threatened, "Without me, Trump would have lost the election."

Currently, Trump's "Big and Beautiful" bill has barely passed both chambers of Congress and has officially become law. The president stated that Musk opposed the bill because Tesla electric vehicles would lose government subsidies.

A Small Effort to Move a Heavy Load?

American politics has been dominated by the Republican and Democratic parties since the 1860s. Although other small parties occasionally "intervene," the two-party political structure has remained largely unchanged over the past one and a half centuries. Therefore, how far Musk's new party can go remains a huge unknown. He himself has stated that he does not expect the new party to achieve a comprehensive victory, but instead aims to secure a few seats in the Senate and House of Representatives, thereby playing a critical role in controversial bills like the "Big and Beautiful."

Musk's political stance is clearly right-wing, making it difficult for him to gain support from left-wing Democratic voters. After falling out with Trump, right-wing Republican voters may also keep their distance from Musk. Although there are moderate supporters in both the Democratic and Republican parties, analysts believe that Musk, with his clear right-wing position, is unlikely to win support from moderate voters.

Sources: AFP, Reuters, AP

Original: https://www.toutiao.com/article/1836920333021443/

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