Elon Musk may no longer be welcome in the White House, but don’t believe for a second that he’s done with politics. Between federal contracts and potential regulation, the government plays too big of a role in Musk’s business ventures for the world’s richest man to ever truly turn his back on Washington. In Musk’s own words, “Trump has 3.5 years left as President, but I will be around for 40 years.”

That’s why progressives must remain committed to blocking his right-wing agenda and draining him of his power — even now that he’s no longer running the so-called Department of Government Efficiency.

Despite everything he has done in full view of the American public, Musk loves to cast himself as a centrist. He recently called for a new “America Party” to “represent the 80% in the middle.” Backed by an utterly unscientific poll on X, he produced a matching 80% approval rate for his idea. But while Musk certainly has the money to launch a third party, the reality is that such an effort would likely go nowhere.

Recent polling reveals that only 15 percent of Democrats and 34 percent of independents approve of Musk. That number rises to 76 percent among Republicans, making Musk the third most popular national Republican figure among Republican voters, behind only Donald Trump and JD Vance. In other words, Musk remains a powerful force in Republican politics, but his hypothetical third party would only draw from Republican voters and the independents who already vote with them.

The reality is that Musk and the Republican Party need each other. Musk is highly dependent on the federal government for the continued financial success of his rocket company SpaceX. And top Republican officeholders and influencers will continue to hunger for his dollars and social media clout, even if he says he is pulling back from political contributions. That explains why Vance and other Trump allies were so muted in their initial statements when the Trump–Musk feud exploded last week.

Trump responded with a threat to cut SpaceX’s federal contracts — which would be a real blow to Musk. Between January 2023 and December 2024, SpaceX’s valuation rose from

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