Elon Musk, at great personal and professional cost, has devoted his time to finding ways to cut through the bureaucracy and downsize government where it makes sense.
Musk to shift focus from DOGE to Tesla after profits plunge
Elon Musk told investors he will refocus on Tesla and begin scaling back his involvement with the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) in May.
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Billionaire Elon Musk says he will spend a lot less time hanging out with President Donald Trump starting in May. And it’s probably time.
Musk’s big personality and nontraditional family life have become a distraction to his work heading DOGE, the government efficiency project he’s led since the beginning of Trump’s term.
What I fear, though, is that Democrats will notch Musk’s retreat as a “win.”
And that could set a seriously bad precedent.
Liberals who are appalled that Musk, the CEO of Tesla, is anywhere close to the halls of government power have not handled it well, to put it mildly. That’s despite the fact Trump ran on downsizing the bureaucracy and has simply followed through on that promise.
Democratic politicians have held overwrought rallies outside agencies in Washington, D.C., essentially rooting for the status quo of unsustainable spending.
Worse, leftists who aren’t content with peaceful protests have turned to outright violence, vandalizing Teslas and dealerships around the country to prove their “outrage.”
It’s gotten so bad the FBI in March had to launch a task force to investigate the attacks, which it considers to be domestic terrorism. At least 80 cases of arson or other vandalism of Teslas have been reported since Musk took his post.
Tim Walz makes fun of Musk. And one of his state employees keys six Teslas.
Let me give you a couple of examples of the rhetoric and violence and their possible connection.
Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz – and recent Democratic vice presidential nominee – has taken to making fun of Musk and his company’s challenges. Tesla’s stock price has fallen sharply, given the vandalism and the backlash to Musk’s involvement with DOGE. And for some reason, Walz thinks it’s humorous to see an American company struggle.
Musk responded by calling Walz, who appears to have 2028 presidential aspirations, a “huge jerk.” He has a point.
Last week, a Minnesota state government employee, Dylan Adams, was arrested for allegedly keying six Teslas, causing at least $21,000 in damages.
Was he encouraged by the rhetoric of his top boss, Walz, or other Democrats? Who knows. But something motivated him to act out in violence.
Unfortunately, it doesn’t seem like Adams will have to face serious punishment for what he did. The prosecutor in the case says Adams will pay the victims for the damage incurred in lieu of criminal charges.
That seems irresponsible, given this was a politically motivated crime, and Adams should have known better as a “public servant.”
Musk has risked Tesla’s health to help our country. We should thank him, not hate him.
Progressives no doubt feel they have achieved some sort of victory. Tesla stock has tanked, and Musk is winding down his work with DOGE.
Yet, the violence employed against innocent Tesla owners and dealers to get their way is alarming. And those who perpetrated it cannot be easily let off the hook.
Rather than our ire, Musk deserves our thanks. Musk, at great personal and professional cost, has devoted his time so far this year to finding ways to cut through the bureaucracy and downsize government where it makes sense.
During that time, Tesla sales have fallen (would you want to buy a car that could get firebombed?), as have Tesla’s first-quarter earnings, which showed a 71% drop in profit.
I don’t blame Musk one bit for wanting to turn attention back to his flagship electric cars and other endeavors. But Democrats should be ashamed of themselves for how this went down.
Ingrid Jacques is a columnist at USA TODAY. Contact her at ijacques@usatoday.com or on X, formerly Twitter: @Ingrid_Jacques