Trump is angry at Musk idea of America Party. But he's a flip-flopper, flirted with multiple parties and backed Democrats too
&imwidth=600&imheight=450&format=webp&quality=medium "Trump is angry at Musk idea of America Party. But he's a flip-flopper, flirted with multiple parties and backed Democrats too")
Trump and Musk during better times not so long ago. Photograph: (Others)
His attempts to form the new party drew the ire of Trump. But Trump himself floated or had been part of new parties in the past. And the mercurial Republican was once a Democrat and even a big donor to that party. Here is a look at the many somersaults of Trump, the politician.
Elon Musk and the America Party: Elon Musk announced the ‘America Party’ after falling out with Donald Trump over a spending bill that could raise the US deficit. Musk, who had donated an estimated $300 million to Trump’s 2024 campaign, recently resigned from his government role at the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE). His attempts to form the new party drew the ire of Trump. But Trump himself floated or had been part of new parties in the past. And the mercurial Republican was once a Democrat and even a big donor to that party. Here is a look at the many somersaults of Trump, the politician.
Trump has shifted parties multiple times
Trump registered as a Republican for the first time in 1987, but his relationship with the party waxed and waned over the years, before he took over its reins. He was associated with the Reform Party in 1999. In 2001, he became a Democrat. For some time, he declared himself as an Independent. In 2021, soon after he lost the Presidential election, Trump's aides floated the idea of a Patriot Party.
So, was Trump a Democrat?
Yes, Trump was a registered Democrat from August 2001 to September 2009. In this period, he expressed stronger identification with Democratic economic policies and donated to Democratic candidates, including Hillary Clinton and Joe Biden. He even donated to his 2024 Democratic rival for president, Kamala Harris, twice. For a period of time, his donations was higher to Democrats than Republicans.
Trump, the political flip-flopper always had his business interests in mind
Trending Stories
&im=FitAndFill=(700,400))
)
)
&im=FitAndFill=(700,400))
)
)
)
)
)
)
)
)
)
)
)
)
)
&im=FitAndFill=(700,400))
)
)
&im=FitAndFill=(700,400))
)
&im=FitAndFill=(700,400))
&im=FitAndFill=(700,400))
)
)
)
)
Trump’s political donations reflected his shifting affiliations, which were more about preserving his business interests. From 1989 to 2009, more than half of his $1.4 million donations went to Democrats, according to ballotpedia.org website. It was ideological consistency, but access to elite and influence that led him to either Dems or GOP, as noted by analysts like Emma Shortis and David Smith.
Trump’s political and party shifts over years
Trump has changed party affiliations at least five times since the 1980s: Republican (1987), Reform/Independence Party (1999), Democrat (2001), back to Republican (2009), Independent (2011) before returning as Republican in 2012. Here is a more detailed breakup:
In 1987, Trump registered as a Republican in Manhattan, New York. This was his first formal and open affiliation with the GOP. In 1988, he attempted to be considered as George HW Bush’s running mate in the Republican presidential race. Bush was dismissive of him.
In 1999, Trump switched his affiliation to the Independence Party of New York. That party was a state affiliate of the national Reform Party of former presidential candidate Ross Perot. Trump formed an exploratory committee to seek the Reform Party’s presidential nomination for the 2000 election, won the Reform Party primaries in California and Michigan. He withdrew from the race in February 2000 due to inner-party discord.
In 2001, Trump changed his party affiliation to the Democratic Party. He was a registered Democrat till 2009, and even considered running for president in 2004 as a Democrat.
In 2008, Trump initially endorsed Hillary Clinton in the Democratic primary but backed Republican John McCain in the general election.
In 2009, Trump returned to the Republican Party, re-registering as a Republican. In 2011 December, he declared himself as an independent. He even flirted with a third-party presidential run in 2012 .
But the same year, Trump re-registered as a Republican and endorsed Mitt Romney for president.
Attempts to form Patriot Party in 2021
After Trump rejected his Presidential race loss of 2020, his aides and supporters explored the idea of a third party, the Patriot Party. The party was supposed to be aligned with Trumpism: nationalist, populist and anti-establishment. But the idea was not his, though inspired by him. The party idea collapsed within days as Trump chose to remain within the GOP. Patriot Party was largely notional. It was not registered and didnt' get ballot access.
