Source: Foreign Policy
by Rishi Iyengar
“Third parties have faced an uphill struggle since Lincoln’s win cemented the Republican Party more than 150 years ago, in large part due to the quirks of the U.S. political system. … Despite those challenges, no independent candidate or third party has had the kind of immense resources that Musk has at his disposal, and the world’s richest man has shown he can achieve a lot in politics by simply throwing large amounts of money toward his goals. Musk cannot run for office himself, having been born outside the United States, but he cemented his kingmaker capabilities with Trump’s election and could conceivably now do the same to oppose his agenda and the Republican Party he leads. The billionaire has indicated that he may start with local and down-ballot races, an arena where third parties have traditionally had more success.” (07/09/25)