Half Voters Open to Third Party, Most Reject Musk’s America Party

A new Quinnipiac University poll finds that while nearly half of American voters are open to joining a third political party, there is little enthusiasm for Elon Musk’s newly formed America Party, with 77% of registered voters saying they would not consider joining it. Independent voters show the most interest in a third party overall, but Musk’s party appeals to only 22% of independents and even less to Democrats. Musk, who was once a major donor and influential figure in President Donald Trump’s administration, recently broke with Trump over policy issues, including the One Big Beautiful Bill, and announced the America Party to challenge the two-party system. Despite Musk’s ambitions to field candidates in the 2026 midterm elections and potentially act as a legislative tiebreaker, polls suggest the America Party could siphon votes from Republicans, potentially hurting their electoral prospects. President Trump has criticized Musk’s new party as a "train wreck" and threatened to cut government contracts to Musk’s companies amid their feud. Overall, while the appetite for a third party exists, Musk’s venture faces significant voter skepticism and may have limited electoral success.