Elon Musk can't run for US Presidency, so who will? Inside the mystery of the America Party's future leader

Here’s the thing. Elon Musk didn’t just announce the America Party out of the blue. He tested the waters first. On 4 July, he posted a poll on X: “Do you want independence from the two-party (some would say uniparty) system?” Over 1.2 million people answered. By a 2-to-1 margin, they said yes.

So Musk replied, “By a factor of 2 to 1, you want a new political party and you shall have it!” He doubled down, adding, “Today, the America Party is formed to give you back your freedom.”

He even shared a meme, a two-headed snake, labelled “End the Uniparty”. Subtlety isn’t really his style.


Can Musk actually run? Not so fast
Plenty of his followers immediately wondered: is he doing this so he can run for president? The answer is no, not legally. The US Constitution is clear. Article II, Section 1 says only a natural-born citizen can run for president. Musk was born in South Africa. He’s said it plainly: “I cannot be president because of my African birth.”

He didn’t exactly sound heartbroken about it either. Back when he was still in Trump’s corner in 2024, he told a crowd, “I actually don’t want to be president. I want to build rockets and cars.”


Still, he hinted at wanting a hand in how the government runs. “I’m hoping that we get President Trump elected, and then I’ll work hard on the Department of Government Efficiency,” he said then.

From ally to adversary
This breakaway move didn’t happen in a vacuum. Just weeks ago, Congress passed Trump’s so-called Big Beautiful Bill, a tax and spending package Musk hated. It scrapped a popular $7,500 tax credit for electric vehicles, which obviously hits Tesla square in the wallet.

Musk went on the attack. He threatened Congress on X: “If this insane spending bill passes, the America Party will be formed the next day.” True to his word, he pulled the trigger as soon as Trump signed it.

Money is not an issue
When it comes to funding, Musk has enough to bankroll this project on his own. Forbes pegs his wealth at $405 billion. He’s already spent big — his America PAC dropped about $40.5 million backing Trump’s 2024 run. It could now pivot to the America Party.

But US law does put limits on direct donations. The McCain-Feingold Act caps individual contributions to a party at $450,000. So unless he wants to play within those limits, Musk will likely lean on super PACs, loopholes that let billionaires spend pretty much what they like, as long as they don’t coordinate too directly.

Who else is in America Party?
Right now, the official list of America Party leaders begins and ends with Musk. But the gossip mill is churning. Some point to Representative Thomas Massie, who voted against the Big Beautiful Bill. Andrew Yang, who co-founded the Forward Party, has said he’s open to teaming up, given their mutual hatred for the status quo.

Then there’s the rumour mill, with Trump ally Laura Loomer claiming “Tucker Carlson, MTG and Thomas Massie” are all potential leaders. Ron DeSantis’ name gets tossed around too, but there’s no proof he’s interested.

So what does Musk want to do with this thing? When asked “Midterms or 2028?” about election plans, he fired back: “Next year.” That means the America Party wants to jump into the 2026 midterms targeting House and Senate seats.

Will it work? Hard to say. Third parties in America are graveyards for big ideas. The Democrats and Republicans have the machinery, money and courts on their side. But this is Elon Musk. If anyone can throw money, memes and outrage at a political system to see what sticks, it’s him.

One thing’s clear: the man doesn’t need a title to make noise. He just needs a stage and right now, he’s building one.

Musk’s beef with the two-party system isn’t new. He’s long floated the idea of a rival force to break what he calls a political duopoly. The final straw came when Trump’s administration pushed a spending package that Musk argued punished future-focused industries like EVs while propping up older sectors. His public fallout with Trump ended his brief stint leading the Department of Government Efficiency or as Musk liked to call it, DOGE. The irony wasn’t lost on anyone.

The America Party is his latest bet that he can reshape US politics like he did the car and space industries. Whether it’s a genuine push for change or just a very loud protest, only time, and a few billion dollars, will tell.