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A top US official has pushed back on Elon Musk’s formation of the new “America Party” as well as his involvement in the Department of Government Efficiency.
Some shit you should know before you read: If you’re unaware, Elon Musk recently announced that he would move forward with creating a new political group called the America Party, positioning it as an alternative to what he described as a corrupt and ineffective two-party system. Musk said the party was formed in direct response to President Trump’s signing of the “Big Beautiful Bill,” a tax and spending package projected to add trillions to the national deficit—something Musk has fiercely opposed. He claims the America Party will not function like traditional parties but instead act as a disruptive force by targeting just 2 to 3 Senate races and 8 to 10 key House districts, aiming to become a swing bloc in Congress capable of tipping the balance on major legislation. According to Musk, this strategy is designed to “serve the true will of the people” by breaking the grip of what he called a “uniparty” system.
What’s going on now: During an appearance on CNN’s State of the Union, Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent offered criticism of Elon Musk’s political ambitions and his newly announced “America Party.” Responding to a question about whether Musk’s move concerned the Trump administration, Bessent said, “Look, the principles of DOGE were very popular. I think if you looked at the polling, Elon was not.”
Bessent went further, suggesting that Musk’s business commitments should take priority over politics. “I believe that the boards of directors at his various companies wanted him to come back and run those companies, which he is better at than anyone,” he said. “So I imagine that those boards of directors did not like this announcement yesterday and will be encouraging him to focus on his business activities, not his political activities.”
This all comes as Musk’s decision has resulted in impacts beyond politics, drawing backlash from business circles concerned about his divided focus. Investment firm Azoria Partners postponed the launch of its Tesla-focused ETF following Musk’s political announcement, with CEO James Fishback urging Tesla’s board to “evaluate whether [Musk’s political ambitions] are compatible with his full-time obligations.”
