Tesla owners use bumper stickers to break with Elon Musk
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Teslas make a statement, now literally — a growing number of owners are using bumper stickers to disassociate themselves from billionaire CEO Elon Musk as he deepens his alliance with President-elect Trump.
Why it matters: Matthew Hiller, an Etsy vendor selling anti-Musk bumper stickers, said he's experienced a surge in business since Musk started campaigning with Trump, The New York Times reports.
- Hiller told the Times that he initially sold about 5-10 "I Bought This Before We Knew Elon Was Crazy" bumper stickers a day, but as Musk became an increasingly outspoken Trump supporter, orders grew exponentially.
- Hiller said that he has sold about 18,000 stickers across 30 countries, and also sells "Anti Elon Tesla Club" and "F Elon" versions. Amazon and Etsy are filled with similar offerings.
- "'I started thinking, there's got to be so many people who are just embarrassed, who have a Tesla already, and they're like, 'Oh my god, now I'm repping this guy. I don't want to endorse anything this guy stands for,'" Hiller said.
- It's not just abashed Tesla owners declaring their politics — supporters of Musk's MAGA alliance are boasting rival stickers that read, "I bought this after I knew Elon was awesome."
Between the lines: Musk's politics don't always match with his customer base, which over-indexes in the Bay Area and other liberal enclaves and includes many people who went electric to reduce their carbon footprints.
Driving the news: Musk has made his conservative views clear for several years, explicitly identified as a GOP supporter in 2022, and uses X, which he owns, to amplify right-wing content. His involvement in the final stretch of Trump's presidential campaign, however, cemented him as a full-fledged MAGA figure.
- Musk donated nearly $75 million in three months to his pro-Trump America PAC, FEC filings show, spending about $277 million on Republican candidates across the board.
- Musk also pushed anti-immigrant conspiracies on X, claiming Democrats were weaponizing illegal immigration for political gain.
- Musk was a major presence at Trump's fall rallies as well.
The investments paid off handsomely for Musk, whose net worth ballooned following Trump's election win.
- That campaign support has led to intimate involvement with Trump's White House prep.
- Musk has joined calls with foreign leaders, for instance, and pushed key Trump appointments, such as longtime ally David Sacks as "AI & crypto czar."
What to watch: The politicization of Tesla could go beyond customer angst.
