Elon Musk Backpedals on Trump Rant—Can Tesla’s Mojo Survive the Fallout?
Elon Musk’s latest Twitter storm—this time targeting Donald Trump—has left investors wondering if Tesla’s CEO is more liability than visionary.
The damage control is rolling out faster than a Cybertruck off the assembly line, but Wall Street isn’t buying it. Tesla’s stock? Still trading like a meme coin.
Can Musk’s apology tour salvage Tesla’s swagger, or is this another case of ‘rich guy says the quiet part out loud’? Spoiler: The boardroom’s sweating.
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“I regret some of my posts about President @realDonaldTrump last week,” Musk posted to X, the same platform he used to pour gasoline on their feud. “They went too far.”
Translation: The markets didn’t like the drama, and neither did Tesla shareholders.
When Billionaires Brawl, Shareholders Bleed
Let’s not forget: Musk’s slap at Trump’s tax bill wasn’t just a tweet. It was a full-on offensive that spiraled into a week-long slugfest — public threats, social media shade, and even calls for impeachment. In the process, Tesla (TSLA) shed nearly $34 billion in market cap and gave the world’s richest man a $34 billion haircut.
Investors don’t care who wins the ego contest. They care about policy access, subsidies, sentiment, and stability. All four just got shaken.
And now Musk seems to know it. Tesla shares bounced 2.3% on Wednesday, not because of a product, but because of a retraction. That’s the power of narrative in a hype-stock world.
Robotaxi to the Rescue, Or a Convenient Distraction?
Also helping the rebound? A leak that Tesla’s long-awaited robotaxi service could go live later this month. Timing is everything — and Musk knows how to serve a shiny object when the press is roasting him.
But here’s the deeper question: is the robotaxi narrative enough to offset political damage? Biden’s SEC was already circling. If Trump, now soured, leans in with regulatory heat or pulls back support from Musk’s empire — Tesla, SpaceX, and everything in between — the consequences could run deep.
This isn’t just about EV subsidies. This is about Musk’s proximity to power — and whether it just snapped.
Investors Need Musk Calm, Not Canceled
Wall Street is betting on Musk, not just Tesla. His genius fuels the valuation — but so does access. When he’s building bridges with Washington, the market cheers. When he’s burning them with tweets, the market flinches.
His “regret” post may have been aimed at cooling things down. But if the bromance is truly over, or even just damaged, it’s not clear what kind of chill is coming next — in Tesla’s multiple, or Musk’s political runway.
Is Musk’s “I regret it” enough to repair what was broken, or did he just show investors how fragile the Musk premium really is?
Is Tesla a Buy, Sell, or Hold?
Tesla (TSLA) currently holds a Hold consensus rating from Wall Street analysts. This outlook is derived from 35 analyst ratings. 14 analysts recommend a Buy, 12 suggest a Hold, and nine advise a Sell. The average TSLA price target stands at $285.97. This figure implies a 7.33% downside from its last trading price of $326.09.
