Florida Governor Ron DeSantis says Elon Musk should drop his plan for a new "America Party" and instead use his money and clout to force fiscal reforms inside the GOP.
What Happened: "I think Washington needs to be overhauled 100%, but I just don't think a third party is going to do it," DeSantis told reporters after an education event on Monday, according to Politico.
DeSantis, who launched his own 2024 presidential bid in a glitch-filled event with Musk, warned that a third-party candidate would likely result in the Democrats winning all the competitive Senate and House races. “I'm a Republican. I don't want to see that happen," he said.
He urged Musk to fund state drives for a balanced-budget amendment and congressional term limits, saying the billionaire could have a "monumental impact" by persuading at least 34 legislatures to convene a constitutional convention.
Musk unveiled the America Party over the weekend after breaking with President Donald Trump over the mammoth "One Big Beautiful Bill," a tax-and-spending package the Tesla chief calls wasteful. He argues the bill will deepen the deficit and has vowed to bankroll primary challenges against Republicans who backed it.
Why It Matters: DeSantis has neither praised nor condemned the megabill, despite some GOP governors lobbying for its passage. Earlier, he objected to the proposed moratorium on state AI regulations, and negotiators removed it from the final text.
Still, he echoed Musk's complaint that many Republicans "run saying there's out-of-control spending … and they never do it." The governor's counsel comes amid his own fragile reconciliation with Trump after last year's bruising primary feud.
While analysts believe that the Musk-Trump rift and Musk's new party could split the right, DeSantis says structural fixes will rein in Washington. "You have to change the incentives and structures up there. It's within our grasp to do it," he says.
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