Will Andrew Yang and Elon Musk team up for a third party?
By Carl Samson
Former Democratic presidential candidate Andrew Yang has reportedly reached out to Elon Musk with a proposal to collaborate on building a third political party following the billionaire’s fiery feud with President Donald Trump.
Catch up
Yang’s outreach follows Musk’s public breakup with Trump over federal spending legislation that would increase the deficit by $2.5 trillion. Musk, who worked with the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) on spending cuts, opposed the legislation and polled his X followers about forming a new political party. The survey received 5.3 million votes, with 80.4% supporting the idea. Musk then suggested naming it the “America Party.”
Yang, who leads the Forward Party — formed after his exit in the 2021 New York City mayoral Democratic primary — moved to connect with Musk following the poll, noting that Musk had endorsed his presidential bid as they both supported Universal Basic Income policies.
Common ground
In a recent interview with Politico, Yang revealed that he has reached out to Musk and that “some mutual friends” are also looking to connect them. However, he has yet to hear back from the Tesla chief.
Yang went on to stress that independents represent the U.S.’ fastest growing political movement, with voters feeling unrepresented by either major party. He emphasized common ground with Musk. “There are a number of things that I think Elon shares in common with a lot of other folks I talk to who want to see some kind of middle ground or balance,” he said. But his direct pitch to Musk was more pointed: “Elon, the political class will never get serious about putting America on a path to sustainability, and you’ve seen it up close. Help us build it.”
Looking ahead
Yang says the Forward Party has gained thousands of new followers in the last 24 hours since Musk’s poll appeared. He believes sufficient resources could produce thousands of locally elected officials within one cycle by targeting more than 500,000 local positions nationwide.
He also envisions creating a fulcrum in the U.S. Senate through what he calls a “Legislator Liberation Fund” to buy out current legislators from their party contracts.
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