The CEO’s politics have eroded the brand’s appeal among some buyers of electric vehicles, surveys indicate. “I used to idolize the guy,” said one Tesla driver who wants to get out of his lease.

Of course, Trump was once a sharp critic of Musk, too, which is especially notable given how tight the pair are now. A look at some of Trump's comments on EVs — and Musk: Trump marked Christmas 2023 with a social media post lumping “All Electric Car Lunacy” in with a number of political enemies that he said “are looking to destroy our once great USA.