JD Vance says billionaire should voice disagreements from within Republican Party to have a bigger impact
US Vice President JD Vance on Wednesday urged billionaire Elon Musk to remain "loyal" to the Republican Party, warning that forming a third political party would limit his influence.
"My advice to Elon would be to try to fix the Republican Party. Try to push it in your own way. Disagree with me all you want, disagree with the president of the United States, but don't pretend that you can make a big difference with a third party," Vance told Fox News.
He added: "I think Elon would make a much bigger difference if he stayed loyal to President (Donald) Trump's Republican Party, and if he had disagreements, express those disagreements from the inside as opposed from the outside."
-'One-party system, not a democracy': Musk
The comments follow a Wall Street Journal report that Musk has paused plans to launch a new party called the America Party, which he announced on his social media company X in July as a bid to give Americans their "freedom" back.
Musk criticized the US two-party system, writing: "When it comes to bankrupting our country with waste & graft, we live in a one-party system, not a democracy."
Earlier this year Musk was criticized for his cost-cutting efforts as part of the Trump administration, with his push to eliminate “waste” called indiscriminate and reckless.
Vance also cautioned Musk about his political perception.
"You believe in law and order, you believe in closed borders, you believe in economic growth and prosperity, you believe in making things in the United States of America. The idea that Elon is ever going to go back to being sort of in the middle, where Democrats and Republicans both like him, that's just not going to happen. He is perceived as being on the American right."
Amid speculation about a potential 2028 presidential run backed by Musk, Vance denied discussing the matter with the billionaire or other donors.
After intense involvement in politics since last year, Musk – with his companies suffering and under pressure to re-focus on them – largely withdrew from his Trump administration role, before becoming a vocal critic of Trump in a highly public feud.
Even following his plans for a third party, however, it emerged that Musk was still donating to Republican candidates, after being Trump’s largest donor.
