A new twist emerged this past Saturday in the rift between US President Donald Trump and his former ally Elon Musk. The billionaire entrepreneur announced the formation of a new political party, claiming that Trump’s fiscal bill would drive the U.S. into bankruptcy.

Following a poll conducted via his social media platform X about the idea of creating a new political entity, Musk announced he would launch the “America Party” to give Americans back their “freedom.”

“Today, the America Party is being formed to give you back your freedom,” Musk wrote in a post on X.

“In a 2-to-1 ratio, you said you want a new political party—and you shall have it,” Musk emphasized, accusing both Republicans and Democrats of operating as a unified political machine against the interests of American citizens.

Citing the strategy used by Epaminondas in the Battle of Leuctra in 371 BCE, Musk said, “The way to break the uniparty system is by using a variant of how Epaminondas shattered the myth of Sparta’s invincibility at Leuctra: Highly concentrated force at a specific location on the battlefield.”

Asked what made him dramatically change his stance on President Trump, Musk replied: “The increase of the deficit from an already insane $2 trillion under Biden to $2.5 trillion. That will bankrupt the country.”

Born in South Africa, Musk is ineligible to run for President of the United States, as candidates must be born on U.S. soil.

The Battle of Leuctra

The Battle of Leuctra is considered one of the most remarkable battles of antiquity in terms of military tactics.

This famous clash between the Spartans and Thebans took place in 371 BCE at Leuctra in Boeotia. It marked the end of the Peloponnesian League and elevated Thebes to a leading position in the Greek world.

At Leuctra, General Epaminondas implemented—for the first time in recorded military history—a new tactical formation that would earn him a reputation as one of the most brilliant generals of all time: the oblique phalanx.

This tactic involves concentrating force at a critical point to strike the enemy’s strongest unit with superior power. In this way, a weaker but well-led army could defeat a numerically superior opponent that was poorly led or misorganized.

Musk, then, uses this metaphorically: he wants to break the “uniparty system” by focusing concentrated political force on a strategic “weak spot.”