March 20, 2025
Why Progressives Are Driving Away From Being Tesla Supporters
One of Tesla’s earliest investors, Ross Gerber, said it's time for Musk to make a decision - step down as CEO of the company or walk away from DOGE.
While the stock of electric vehicle company Tesla is starting to tank, it seems as if the company is losing supporters and fans at a fast pace, blaming CEO Elon Musk’s new role in Washington D.C., NBC News reported.
From the Hollywood elite to lawmakers on Capitol Hill, the rate of people getting rid of their Tesla vehicles is increasing. Golden Globe winner Jason Bateman announced his decision to get rid of his Tesla, claiming that driving it was like “driving around with a Trump sticker.” Grammy Award-winning singer Sheryl Crow shared similar thoughts in a video showcasing how she sold her vehicle. Crow said she donated the proceeds to public broadcasting organization NPR, which “is under threat by President Musk, in hopes that the truth will continue to find its way to those willing to know the truth.”
On X, Sen. Mark Kelly (D-AZ) said Musk and his policies are the reasons why he ditched his Tesla. “I bought a Tesla because it was fast like a rocket ship. But now, every time I drive it, I feel like a rolling billboard for a man dismantling our government and hurting people,” Kelly posted.
“So Tesla, you’re fired!”
Protests and vandalism have erupted at Tesla dealerships across the country as Musk’s involvement in President Donald Trump’s administration as the head of the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) and labeled right-wing politics has turned buyers away. A video circulated on social media showing five Teslas set ablaze with Molotov cocktails at a dealership in Las Vegas. As newly appointed Attorney General Pam Bondi labeled the episodes as acts of “domestic terrorism,” other people in Musk’s circle are calling for the billionaire to do something about it.
During a television interview, one of Tesla’s earliest investors, Ross Gerber, said it’s time for Musk to make a decision — step down as CEO of the company or walk away from DOGE. “The company’s reputation has just been destroyed by Elon Musk. Sales are plummeting, so yeah, it’s a crisis. You literally can’t sell the best product in the marketplace because the CEO is so divisive,” Gerber said, according to the Daily Beast.
“It’s time for somebody to run Tesla. There are too many important things Tesla is doing, so either Elon should come back to Tesla and be the CEO of Tesla and give up his other jobs, or he should focus on the government and keep doing what he is doing but find a suitable CEO of Tesla.”
A report released in early March 2025 showed Tesla’s stock has plummeted by 53% following a record of all-time highs reached in mid-December 2024. One month later, S&P Global Mobility numbers revealed Tesla registrations dropped 11% while registrations for other manufacturers of electric vehicles like Ford, Chevrolet, and Volkswagen saw a 44% increase. Everyday consumers of the Tesla brand include New Jersey preschool teacher Megan Paulus. She took over her husband’s car after he died in December 2021 and mentioned him being a big Musk fan, even owning stock.
However, Paulus is concerned with how driving the vehicle will connect her with Musk’s politics and wants no part, and is specifically concerned with heightened vandalism. “I no longer wish to be associated with these people. I no longer want to be associated with Elon Musk,” the teacher said.
“I got one of those magnets-slash-bumper stickers. It says: ‘I bought the car before I knew how awful Elon Musk was.’ I did that as a placeholder because I have thought very much about selling the car.”
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