Elon Musk announced the launch of a new political organization, the “America Party,” in early July.

In a bold social media post, he wrote, “You want a new political party and you shall have it!” He added, “When it comes to bankrupting our country with waste & graft, we live in a one-party system, not a democracy. Today, the America Party is formed to give you back your freedom.”

Musk said the America Party aims to be a serious alternative to the Democratic and Republican parties.

He stated that he may run candidates in “two to three Senate seats and up to 10 House districts.” According to Musk, this would be enough “to serve as the deciding vote on contentious laws.”

Although support for an alternative party is consistently high in public opinion polls, political experts doubt its viability.

Bernard Tamas, political science professor at Valdosta State University, said, “At this moment in American politics, I see no evidence that you’re going to get another party winning seats in Congress and actually being able to have an impact in the government.”

Tamas noted that the two major parties have overwhelming structural advantages, according to the Guardian.

“They have all the resources. They have the money. They have 150 years of structure. They have all the professional politicians, and they have all the consultants, and they have all the Madison Avenue ad companies working for them.”

The America Party’s creation came shortly after a high-profile argument between Musk and President Donald Trump.

The timing led some observers to question whether the idea was reactionary. Its rollout has faced early complications. For example, the domain name Americaparty.com is already owned by someone else and is listed for sale at $6.9 million.

Similarly, the social media handle @AmericaParty was taken on X, the platform owned by Musk. As a result, the new party had to settle for the handle @AmericaPartyX.

Musk has not detailed the party’s platform beyond opposing the national debt. He has yet to explain what specific “contentious laws” his candidates would vote on or what policy changes the party would pursue.

Historically, third parties have struggled to win elections at the national level. However, they have succeeded in influencing political debates. Tamas noted that third parties can be most effective as disruptors, saying, “The job of third parties is disruption. It’s to sting like a bee. It’s to cause pain.”

He cited examples like the Progressive Party in Wisconsin and the Farmer-Labor Party in Minnesota, which won limited victories but helped prompt policy shifts in areas like unemployment relief and banking reform.

Tamas added that while conditions exist for third-party pressure, replacement of major parties is unlikely. “You’re not going to replace them. What you do is you attack them for this. You’re trying to pull them back towards the center.”

The Forward Party, founded by Andrew Yang in 2022, attempted to break the two-party system but has not gained significant traction. Its messaging avoided strong ideological positions, which may have hurt its appeal.

Though polls show Americans generally support the idea of a third party, support for Musk’s specific proposal is uncertain. In a social media poll, 65% supported his party’s creation, while 34% opposed it. A separate July poll found that only 14% would be very likely to support it.

Musk is reportedly consulting with Curtis Yarvin, a political blogger who supports authoritarian leadership. This has raised additional concerns about the direction of the America Party.

A recent poll also shows that 60% of Americans view Musk unfavorably, a potential obstacle to the party’s success. While Musk claims America shall have a third party, it remains unclear whether it will want one led by him.