TOI correspondent from Washington: Elon Musk teased America about forming a new political party even as he dialled down from his spat with MAGA President Donald Trump, deleting a series of posts linking him to the late sex trafficker Jeffrey Epstein. The Musk climbdown came after Trump declined to engage in a phone call that mediators tried to initiate between the two, and instead threatened to cut off huge federal loans and subsidies to Musk’s companies. “We’ll take a look at everything. I look at everything. He’s got a lot (of) money. He gets a lot of subsidy. So we’ll take a look at that. Only if it’s fair. Only if it’s fair for him and for the country. I would certainly think about it. But it has to be fair,” Trump told reporters in an oblique hint that Musk could be spared punitive action. Trump also dismissed Musk’s threat of forming a new political party based on a poll he ran on X, saying he was happy with his own poll numbers that showed support for him and his policies. In a sketchy poll on X, where Musk has more than 220m “followers” but which is boiling with fake accounts and bots, Musk asked, “Is it time to create a new political party in America that actually represents the 80% in the middle?” The question elicited only 5.6 million online “votes” from 100m views. More than 80 per cent respondents answered in the affirmative. “The people have spoken. A new political party is needed in America to represent the 80% in the middle! And exactly 80% of people agree This is fate,” Musk exulted, suggesting the new entity could be called “America Party,” although X is hardly representative of US voters or its demographics. Trump wasn’t impressed with the online exercise, but he still dialled down from firing back, ostensibly because even a five to ten per cent shift in votes could overturn the GOP majority in both the Senate and Congress in the November 26 midterm elections. Musk also reposted analysis from a strawman whom he frequently cites. “History warns third parties fail. But Elon brings unprecedented resources, platform, and timing. Technology has democratized politics. “The America Party”, in it’s elegant simplicity, could finally give the 80% what they want: destruction of the swamp, not just new management,” Musk frontman Mario Nawfal wrote. While efforts by interested parties to bring about a truce if not reunite the two warring men continue, for now they appear to be circling each other looking for weak spots. Given the low blows they have delivered at each other — including innuendos about drug use and sex trafficking — a re-union seems unlikely.
