Congress has cut federal funding for public media — a $3.4 million loss for LAist. We count on readers like you to protect our nonprofit newsroom. Become a monthly member and sustain local journalism.
MAGA-mobiles?: How Trump's embrace of Tesla could hurt the brand in its biggest market
U.S. President Donald Trump and White House Senior Advisor, Tesla and SpaceX CEO Elon Musk deliver remarks next to a Tesla Model S on the South Lawn of the White House on March 11, 2025.
(
Andrew Harnik
/
Getty Images
)
Topline:
President Donald Trump bought a Tesla and turned the White House lawn into a showroom in an extraordinary bid to boost sales for Elon Musk — his biggest financial supporter — as his company’s stock plummets. But that’s only likely to speed up Tesla’s decline in liberal California.
State of play: Public distaste for Musk has turned into outright fury in recent weeks, as the extent of his role in slashing the federal government and supporting conservative parties abroad has become clear. Protesters have disrupted Tesla showrooms from San Francisco to Portugal, and an Oregon man was arrested last week after throwing Molotov cocktails at a dealership.
Outrage has spooked the stock market: Tesla shares are down 50% since mid-December, wiping out $800 billion in value. Mike Murphy, a veteran Republican consultant who runs a group that supports increased electric vehicle adoption, said that a quarter of collapsing sales could lead to shareholder lawsuits.
Support for LAist comes from
Why it matters: Tesla, the dominant automaker in California’s electric vehicle market, has watched its hold rapidly slip in recent years. The company’s California sales fell by 11.6% last year compared to 2023, and it now represents 52% of the state’s EV market — which accounts for 35% of national sales — down from nearly 80% four years ago. Tesla’s decline could open a window for American automakers and foreign companies like BMW, Kia and Hyundai to fill the gap.
Conservative response: Trump’s biggest supporters in the media world praised the move, and urged conservative viewers to buy a Tesla of their own. Fox News host Sean Hannity announced on X that he ordered a new Tesla and launched a contest to give away a model. Musk also quickly thanked the president.
Federal uncertainty: The Trump administration hasn’t announced if it plans to roll back a number of federal programs that could upend the EV market, possibly to Tesla’s benefit. That includes a $7,500 EV tax credit that Musk has pledged to axe. Biden-era Inflation Reduction Act incentives for EV battery manufacturing are also still intact, and got harder to kill last week as nearly two dozen House Republicans announced their opposition to nixing clean energy credits to pay for tax cuts.
For more, read the full story in POLITICO's California Climate newsletter.
This story is published in partnership with POLITICO.
As Editor-in-Chief of our newsroom, I’m extremely proud of the work our top-notch journalists are doing here at LAist. We’re doing more hard-hitting watchdog journalism than ever before — powerful reporting on the economy, elections, climate and the homelessness crisis that is making a difference in your lives. At the same time, it’s never been more difficult to maintain a paywall-free, independent news source that informs, inspires, and engages everyone.
Simply put, we cannot do this essential work without your help. Federal funding for public media has been clawed back by Congress and that means LAist has lost $3.4 million in federal funding over the next two years. So we’re asking for your help. LAist has been there for you and we’re asking you to be here for us.
We rely on donations from readers like you to stay independent, which keeps our nonprofit newsroom strong and accountable to you.
No matter where you stand on the political spectrum, press freedom is at the core of keeping our nation free and fair. And as the landscape of free press changes, LAist will remain a voice you know and trust, but the amount of reader support we receive will help determine how strong of a newsroom we are going forward to cover the important news from our community.
Please take action today to support your trusted source for local news with a donation that makes sense for your budget.
Thank you for your generous support and believing in independent news.
Chip in now to fund your local journalism
(
LAist
)
Trending on LAist
-
Isolated showers can still hit the L.A. area until Friday as remnants from the tropical storm move out. -
First aspiring spectators must register online, then later in 2026 there will be a series of drawings. -
It's thanks to Tropical Storm Mario, so also be ready for heat and humidity, and possibly thunder and lightning. -
![A Black woman sits at a dais with a flag in the background. A name placard in front of her reads: Dr. Va Lecia Adams Kell[um].](https://scpr.brightspotcdn.com/dims4/default/5425437/2147483647/strip/true/crop/6298x3897+0+0/resize/640x396!/quality/90/?url=http%3A%2F%2Fscpr-brightspot.s3.us-west-2.amazonaws.com%2F76%2F00%2Febed9a7a4fbd9e5ba12997e51d59%2Fgettyimages-1258669633.jpg)
L.A. County investigators have launched a probe into allegations about Va Lecia Adams Kellum and people she hired at the L.A. Homeless Services Authority. -
L.A. Mayor Karen Bass suspended a state law allowing duplexes, calling more housing unsafe. But in Altadena, L.A. County leaders say these projects could be key for rebuilding. -
This measure on the Nov. 4, 2025, California ballot is part of a larger battle for control of the U.S. House of Representatives next year.
![A Black woman sits at a dais with a flag in the background. A name placard in front of her reads: Dr. Va Lecia Adams Kell[um].](https://scpr.brightspotcdn.com/dims4/default/45c201e/2147483647/strip/true/crop/6298x3894+0+0/resize/786x486!/format/webp/quality/90/?url=http%3A%2F%2Fscpr-brightspot.s3.us-west-2.amazonaws.com%2F76%2F00%2Febed9a7a4fbd9e5ba12997e51d59%2Fgettyimages-1258669633.jpg)
Best of LAist