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Protests against Elon Musk targeting his company Tesla have prompted the Trump administration to retaliate with a Presidential endorsement of the cars.

The recent protests and reactions to Tesla cars out in the wild point to the company’s new political symbolism, which runs counter to the company’s—mostly—environmentalist stance. This new Trumpian branding calls into question the company’s future as it faces dropping stocks and a finicky consumer base.  

Immediately after the presidential election, Tesla stocks saw a boost attributed to Musk backing the Trump ticket. Now, those benefits seem to be coming to an end, with stocks plummeting below pre-election numbers and Musk losing $144.4 billion from his net worth. 

Beyond Wall Street, the company faces another problem and vital question—who is buying a Tesla?

In the past, it would have been fair to assume that the average Tesla buyer made their purchase out of concern for the environment. After all, buying an electric vehicle should cut down on your environmental impact, if you don’t mind the company’s tenuous relationship with U.S. environmental regulations.  

Generally, more liberal individuals find themselves concerned with climate change, and as such, the Tesla consumer base reflected this. However, the amount of self-identified liberal Tesla buyers has decreased in inverse correlation with Musk’s increasingly right-wing rhetoric over the years. 

Even ignoring people’s issues with Musk’s involvement with DOGE, it’s difficult to ask consumers to view your company as environmentally friendly when associated with Trump and his climate policies.

While the possibility of conservative buyers increasing in support of Musk does exist, it is also unlikely that electric vehicles can fill the role that these types of consumers look for in their car.

As the company faces a crisis on multiple fronts, the future looks rocky for Tesla.

It’s hard to convince Republicans to trade in their normal trucks for a cybertruck.

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