Elon Musk’s controversial role in the Trump administration appears to be dragging down the Tesla CEO’s image — and Tesla’s own brand — during a pivotal time for the EV industry.
Over the weekend, hundreds of protesters demonstrated at Tesla (TSLA) dealerships across the country, as well as several international locations. Dubbed “Tesla Takedown” and “Tesla Takeover,” the protests were coordinated by groups like Anonymous on Bluesky (an x.com alternative).
With signs like “Musk is stealing from you,” “Stop Musk’s Coup,” and “Tesla funds fascists,” protesters chanted outside Tesla showrooms from New York City’s Meatpacking District to Boston’s Boylston Street, and even Tesla’s hometown of Austin, Texas.
“Sell your Teslas, dump your stock, join the picket lines,” shouted organizers at the Austin event. “Hurting Tesla is stopping Musk. Stopping Musk will help save lives and our democracy.”
Musk, as head of the newly formed Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), has been behind massive layoffs of government employees. Many of these dismissals are the subject of lawsuits alleging DOGE and the White House acted illegally with the firings.
Recent surveys show that many voters disapprove of Musk’s actions.
A Quinnipiac poll from late January found that voters oppose Musk playing a prominent role in the Trump administration by a 53% to 39% margin.
“Elon Musk, a powerful and pivotal player in Trump’s inner circle, gets a shaky assessment from voters, with women clearly more critical of him than men,” said Quinnipiac University polling analyst Tim Malloy.
According to a more recent poll conducted by the American EV Jobs Alliance, a bipartisan group examining EV adoption across the political spectrum, EV drivers gave Musk a 35% positive rating, with 42% giving him a negative rating. His standing among female respondents had a deeper split (34% favorable, 43% unfavorable).
Musk going from “EV Jesus” to “MAGA god” is hurting Tesla’s brand image, said Mike Murphy, veteran GOP strategist and CEO of American EV Jobs Alliance, to Automotive News. “Musk has more of a MAGA identity than an electric car identity. He’s a nightmare for the Tesla chief marketing officer because he’s now in the way.”
Case in point: The survey polled likely EV buyers about their brand perception. Among EV competitors Ford, Toyota, and VW, Tesla had the lowest favorable rating (63%) and highest unfavorable (37%).
