BY MATT BERG & CROOKED MEDIA

WEDNESDAY
JULY 2, 2025

DOGE is the monster that might have to go back and eat Elon.”

 
— Donald Trump, threatening to target “First Buddy” Elon Musk’s businesses using Musk’s own DOGE organization. 

MAD LIB(ERTARIANS)

Elon Musk is threatening to start a brand new political party. An existing group of outsiders is urging him to join them instead: Libertarians. 

- Gazillionaire Elon Musk has all the enthusiasm and ignorance of an arrogant college sophomore who just learned about American politics for the first time… except, of course, unlike that sophomore, he’s also got all the money in the world. That dangerous combo means he’s got the funds to make his loopiest dreams reality. Case in point: Musk injected $250 million of his own cash into the veins of President Donald Trump’s campaign… and once dressed in a yellow foam cheesehead hat to hand out $1 million checks to bolster MAGA voter turnout in Green Bay, Wisconsin.

- But Musk is battling with Trump again, so he’s looking for fresh ideas. He wants to launch the so-called “America Party” immediately after Republicans pass their [wildly unpopular]([link removed]) “big, beautiful bill,” which Elon totally hates. “Our country needs an alternative to the Democrat-Republican uniparty so that the people actually have a VOICE,” he tweeted. The party would follow in the footsteps of a [similar failed effort]([link removed]) by late billionaire Ross Perot.

- Many Americans are sick and tired [of both parties]([link removed]), and almost [60 percent like the idea of creating a third option]([link removed]). Lower-income Americans increasingly [vote for Republicans]([link removed]), even as GOP policies disproportionately benefit the disgustingly wealthy. The two-party system is flawed — but also deeply entrenched. Despite the idea’s popularity, third parties have found it impossible to make headway. In the United States, they're better known for siphoning off votes from other candidates than they are for winning elections. 

- Enter the Libs… and I mean the Libertarians. With an [annual budget]([link removed]) between $1 million and $3 million, the Libertarian Party’s coffers pale in comparison to the vaults of cash at Musk’s disposal. “If he likes our platform and likes what he sees, I would invite him to maybe become a Libertarian and help influence some races across the country,” Chase Oliver, who ran on the party’s presidential ticket in 2024, told What A Day.

 

 

Will Elon Musk decide to bump up the Libertarian Party’s funding by a factor of 100? What would happen if he did?

- Joining a team would have clear benefits for Musk over founding a new one. The Libertarian Party has ballot access in most states, a feat that many other third parties have failed to reach. (It’s worth noting that other third parties, most notably the Green Party, also exist and run candidates for office.) Libertarian National Committee Chair Steven Nekhaila [sounds really thirsty]([link removed]) for Musk to hop on board. 

- “That kind of money … would have been an absolute game changer,” Oliver said. “It would have pretty much guaranteed we got the poll numbers we would need to get into a debate. That kind of cash infusion into an alternative party campaign would be like night and day. You would have had someone else on that debate stage with Joe Biden or Kamala Harris and Donald Trump.”

- Money helps with elections, sure, but it’s not enough for victory — which is why we never had a [President Jeb Bush]([link removed]). It’s also possible Musk’s controversial brand could tarnish the Libertarian Party. Musk’s car company, Tesla, saw sales [drop 13 percent]([link removed]) this quarter, in a fresh sign of just how much many people hate this guy. 

- Are the Libertarians planning to sit down with Musk? Not yet… but only because they don’t have his number. “If I had the ability, I absolutely would,” Oliver said. “I don't know who's got his number in the Rolodex, but if I can find it and contact him, I would absolutely love to sit down and speak with him.”

Having the world’s richest man on their team would give Libertarians a gold-plated megaphone. The question is how they’d use it.

WHAT A SPONSOR

 
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If you’re tired of watching winnable elections slip away because no one knew how to get folks on the rolls, it’s time to do something about it. Go to [civitech.io/crooked]([link removed]) to learn more.

 

 

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WHAT ELSE?

[House Republicans struggled all day]([link removed]) to move forward with passing Donald Trump’s “big, beautiful bill.” It’s so bad, a five-minute procedural vote dragged on for more than 90 minutes thanks to GOP holdouts. One of the few consolations for this terrible bill is that it’s currently on track to ruin MAGA’s Fourth of July weekend… if we’re lucky!
 
[A judge denied bail to Sean “Diddy” Combs]([link removed]) while he awaits sentencing on two counts of transporting prostitutes. He was acquitted on the most serious charges against him: sex trafficking and racketeering conspiracy. Still, he faces a possible 20 years behind bars.

[Hamas is “ready” for the 60-day ceasefire]([link removed]) with Israel proposed by Trump, according to one of the militant group’s officials, if it leads “to the complete end to the war.” Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, however, repeated that Hamas must be completely destroyed. Per usual, this seems like it’s going nowhere fast.  

[Ukraine rebuked the U.S. today for abruptly]([link removed]) halting several high-value weapons shipments to the country. The decision would allow the “aggressor to continue the war and acts of terror, rather than seek peace,” Ukrainian officials wrote. 

[CBS parent company Paramount agreed to pay]([link removed]) $16 million to settle a voter interference lawsuit filed by Trump last year.  That money will go toward Trump’s legal fees and his future presidential library. “Paramount's decision to capitulate to Trump threatens journalists’ ability to do their job reporting on powerful public figures,” the Writers Guild of America East wrote in a statement. And, c’mon, you know Trump’s “presidential library” will just be a collection of old Burger King menus and TV Guides from the 1980s, anyway.

[The U.S. and Vietnam struck a trade deal today]([link removed]), which includes a 20 percent tariff on imports from the country. He promised 90 trade deals in 90 days… and [almost 90 days]([link removed]) later, he’s got two? Lol. 

[The Colorado State Capitol replaced a portrait of Trump]([link removed]) that was so hilariously unflattering that Trump once claimed that it was “purposefully distorted.” In its place hangs a picture reminiscent of his mugshot, painted by a Christian worship artist, which totally checks out. 

FRIENDS (OF THE POD) ZONE
  f you’re not subscribed to Friends of the Pod, what are you waiting for? Subscribe now to unlock the latest episode of Pollercoaster, where Dan breaks down what the polls are saying about Trump’s so-called “big, beautiful bill.” He explains how the bill still managed to pass the Senate, and why it’s a political and policy disaster. Plus, Dan talks about Zohran Mamdani’s big primary win in NYC and how the 2026 midterms are shaping up. To hear the full conversation, subscribe to Friends of the Pod at [crooked.com/friends]([link removed]), or directly on Apple Podcasts. 
 

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[The Trump administration cannot categorically deny]([link removed]) entry to people at the southern border to claim asylum, a federal judge ruled in a 128-page opinion. It’s a major slapdown of a rule change Trump made on his first day in office. Score one for the rule of law. 

[The Wisconsin Supreme Court struck down]([link removed]) a 176-year-old abortion ban, in a 4-3 vote led by liberal justices. This ruling is a reminder that Elon Musk spent millions attempting to elect a conservative judge to the court… and miserably failed. Money well spent, Elon!

[The U.S. government is planning to breed flies]([link removed]) that they’ll toss out of airplanes near the southern border, with the intention of fighting flesh-eating maggots. It’s a shockingly effective science, experts say, that could successfully battle pests that harm cattle, wildlife, and even pets. And yes, specialized flies that kill carnivorous maggots will be in my nightmares tonight.

[Scientists have successfully sequenced the oldest DNA]([link removed]) from an Egyptian man, who was possibly an esteemed pottery worker, dating back to when the pyramids were built. The DNA also reveals that people from Egypt and Mesopotamia, two complex societies dating back  thousands of years, intermingled. I wonder if archaeologists will discover my DNA in 6025 and describe me as an esteemed ancient newsletter scribe… one can hope!
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