“I bought it before Elon went crazy.” According to social networks, this is the type of sticker that more and more Tesla owners are displaying on the back of their vehicle – as if to apologize for having contributed to the fortune of the eminence grise of Donald Trump, who has become the muse of a large part of the global extreme right.
Some go even further, calling for a boycott of the billionaire’s companies, starting with Tesla. For the first time in its history, the manufacturer’s sales fell by 1.1% last year, in a very strong growing electric vehicle market. According to analysts, this fall is largely attributable to the proliferation of competing models, particularly Chinese ones. But the sulphurous image sent back by the Tesla boss probably dissuaded some buyers. The decline would be pronounced in California, a progressive bastion accounting for a third of the American market.
A boost to Tesla
This would not be the first time that Elon Musk’s excesses have penalized his own companies. But we are no longer in 2018, when the American stock market policeman forced him to withdraw from Tesla after a series of manipulative tweets. The eccentric billionaire has since transformed into a champion of the ultra-right, at the head of a colossal fortune estimated at more than $420 billion. The next American president is indebted to him, and has already appointed him to co-direct a “Department of Government Efficiency” responsible for reducing bureaucracy.
Elon Musk will therefore find himself both judge and party. A claimed libertarian, the entrepreneur has never hidden his hostility towards regulations, seen as obstacles to innovation that need to be removed. This explains the confidence of Tesla investors, who are counting on a relaxation of the rules governing autonomous driving – a long-standing promise from the manufacturer, recently reactivated by Elon Musk in an attempt to maintain its market share. Donald Trump has already announced that he wants to relax the rules.
A springboard for SpaceX?
The impact of Elon Musk’s political role on SpaceX is more difficult to assess. But for the part of its activity linked to public procurement, we can imagine the Trump administration being particularly benevolent. Is looming in particular with a reorientation of the American space program which could abandon the Moon for Mars – with SpaceX in charge rather than NASA, whose management Donald Trump has already entrusted to a close friend of Elon Musk?
More problematic is the situation of X (formerly Twitter), which has become, under the cover of freedom of expression, a relay for propaganda and disinformation. The social network has not communicated its figures for a long time, but several analyzes attest to the flight of advertisers and an erosion of the audience. Since the election of Donald Trump, we have notably witnessed a significant exodus of media and personalities towards Bluesky, an alternative created by the original founder of Twitter. But it is likely that Elon Musk now cares little about the financial profitability of X, given the visibility that the network allows to give to his ideas.
Will the honeymoon with Trump last?
It remains to be seen whether the honeymoon between Elon Musk and Donald Trump will last, while the two men are opposed in particular on energy issues – the first championing the transition to electricity with Tesla, the second the one of the oil industry. As a tariff standoff between Washington and Beijing looms, Tesla could also be forced to pay the price as the company actively develops in the Chinese market. But Elon Musk has demonstrated it many times: despite his excesses, he knows how to be pragmatic.
