U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said on Sunday that Elon Musk should “stick to business, not politics,” arguing that the boards of Tesla and SpaceX are likely to press the billionaire to focus on corporate duties rather than his newly announced political ambitions. Bessent’s comments followed Musk’s 5 July declaration that he is forming the “America Party” to campaign against Republican lawmakers who supported President Donald Trump’s recently signed tax-and-spending package. Trump enacted the bill on 4 July and later called Musk’s third-party initiative “ridiculous.” The Treasury chief noted that Musk’s earlier Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) program polled well, but the entrepreneur himself did not. A Quinnipiac University survey released last month found only 30 % of American voters viewed Musk favorably, down sharply among Republicans from 78 % in March to 62 %. Musk’s foray into politics is already rippling through financial markets. Azoria Partners postponed the launch of a Tesla-linked exchange-traded fund, saying the new party raises a potential conflict with Musk’s full-time role as chief executive. Azoria CEO James Fishback urged Tesla’s board to clarify whether Musk can balance the demands of running the carmaker with leading a political movement.