For Trump, Elon Musk Dragged Tesla, All For Nought

Elon Musk bet big on Donald Trump. He cut federal spending with a chainsaw (literally), cozied up to the Oval Office and led the controversial Department of Government Efficiency—aka DOGE for four months. The goal? Shake up Washington, allegedly push global trade toward his company’s favor and walk away a hero.

Instead, his EV company Tesla's sales sank, public trust faded and Musk had to ultimately exit DC with little to show for it — or at least not as much as he would have liked.

Let’s talk numbers—and they’re not pretty.

Tesla saw its vehicle sales plummet by 87% in Quebec during the first quarter of 2025, delivering just 524 units. In Europe, Tesla's April 2025 sales dropped by 49%.

This slump coincided with Chinese rival BYD Co. Ltd. surpassing Tesla in European sales for the first time, marking a significant milestone as BYD continues its aggressive expansion into the market.

Although Elon Musk’s renewed focus on Tesla has been welcomed by investors, concerns remain about the company’s direction, particularly regarding the upcoming Robotaxi debut scheduled for June in Austin.

Musk himself recently acknowledged that he had been devoting "too much time" to political matters, as Tesla faces mounting consumer backlash and declining sales performance.

Backlash Everywhere: Chainsaws Don’t Win Hearts

In April, a protest group called Tesla Takedown said that since February, over 2,000 demonstrations have taken place worldwide, with local organizers holding more than 150 events weekly. The movement aims to spotlight Musk’s role in the Trump administration and apply pressure for his departure from government involvement.

During Tesla’s first-quarter earnings call, Musk addressed the protests, alleging that the groups were being funded by sources tied to government waste and fraud.

In March, the FBI formed a dedicated task force to investigate and respond to a growing wave of violent incidents targeting Tesla, marking a significant escalation in federal efforts to address what officials labelled as domestic terrorism.

President Trump has also echoed the “domestic terrorism” label in describing the anti-Tesla protests, even as he continues to characterize the Jan. 6 Capitol attack as “a beautiful day” and its participants as patriots.

Last month, it was reported that Tesla terminated 35-year-old Matthew Labrot after he launched a website criticizing the company’s CEO, Musk.

Basically, the once-cool EV brand started feeling… complicated.

DOGE Exit: Musk Leaves Washington With A Participation Trophy

After four chaotic months running DOGE, Musk stepped back. No $1 trillion in savings. No sweeping reform. Just a golden key from Trump and a trail of lawsuits, layoffs and political drama.

Musk now says he didn’t agree with everything Trump did—but stayed quiet to avoid “a bone of contention.” But could the silence have cost him Tesla’s reputation?

Established through an executive order just hours after Trump resumed office, the DOGE set out to reduce federal spending by $1 trillion by targeting bureaucracy and inefficiencies.

However, the initiative has so far accounted for only $175 billion in savings, as per its official website.

Meanwhile, Musk has now also been accused of using ketamine, ecstasy and psychedelic mushrooms during his campaign activities for Trump last year.

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