Survey Monday
Elon Musk is threatening to upend politics in the U.S. with a brand new party. Would you ever consider voting for third-party candidates?
• No (duopoly is enshrined in the U.S. and a waste of a vote)
• Yes (change can happen, especially in the current environment)
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Business and politics
“Back to spending 24/7 at work and sleeping in conference/server/factory rooms,” Elon Musk posted only a month ago, before exiting the Department of Government Efficiency and getting in a high-profile clash with President Trump. “I must be super focused on X/xAI and Tesla (plus Starship), as we have critical technologies rolling out.” However, it didn’t take long for Musk to get back into the political arena, unveiling the “America Party” over the July 4th holiday weekend to “give you back your freedom.” See Trump’s reaction
Mission critical? The catalyst for the formation of the America Party was the “Big Beautiful Bill,” which was the final straw in the relationship between Musk and the GOP. The Tesla (TSLA) CEO spent nearly $300M to help Trump get into office, but that backfired when the bill went against his role at DOGE. More importantly, it erased the hefty EV tax credits that have been a major driver of profits for the carmaker (worth $2.8B in 2024) as it faces steep competition and slowing sales. Like many other companies, favorable regulation has been key to the rise of Tesla (TSLA), making it crucial to obtain favorable legislation in areas like clean energy, robotics, self-driving vehicles and AI. Azoria Partners delays Tesla ETF launch
While reducing the debt and responsible spending lay the foundation of the new America Party, there is also a growing shift toward ideological polarization among Democrats and Republicans. That might make it easier to court the many voters who currently define themselves as “politically homeless” and are looking for new alternatives. Musk has not only threatened to oust every member of Congress that voted for Trump’s bill, but has reposted about his new party’s foundational priorities of “free speech, less regulation, pro-tech modernization, and centrist policies everywhere else.” Will Tesla’s board get involved?
What it means: While Musk may see this as a lifeline for his companies like SpaceX, Starlink, and most prominently Tesla (TSLA), shareholders are not digesting it that way (at least for the time being). “Very simply, Musk diving deeper into politics and now trying to take on the Beltway establishment is exactly the opposite direction that Tesla investors/shareholders want him to take during this crucial period for the Tesla story,” Wedbush’s Dan Ives wrote in a research note. Following the news, the EV maker’s stock opened down 7% in premarket trading on Monday and has lost 22% in value since the start of the year, making Tesla (TSLA) the worst performer among the “Magnificent Seven.” Take the WSB survey.
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