Senator Ditches Tesla Vehicle In Protest Against 'Damage Elon Musk, Donald Trump' Are Doing: Here's What He Bought Instead

Senator Mark Kelly (D-Ariz.) responded to Elon Musk‘s disparaging remarks by ditching his Tesla Inc TSLA car and choosing to drive something that's not from the electric vehicle sector.

What Happened: Musk recently called Kelly a traitor for visiting Ukraine. Kelly, a well-known Senator who is also a retired NASA astronaut and Navy combat veteran, brushed off the comments.

"He's like a 12-year-old. So I don't take him seriously. I served our country in the Navy for 25 years. When I was 22 years old, I swore an oath to defend the Constitution. I've lived that oath my entire life. I'm not sure if Elon has sworn an oath to anything. If I was to guess, probably to billionaires like himself," Kelly said of Musk.

Along with the public criticism of Musk, Kelly ditched his everyday vehicle, which was a Tesla model. "When I bought this thing, I didn't think it was going to become a political issue, he added.

The Senator recently said it was his last time driving to work in his Tesla, as it reminds him too much of the "damage Elon Musk and Donald Trump is doing to our country."

Kelly said Trump and Musk are “talking about slashing” social security and health benefits. "It's one bad thing after the next,” he said.

The Senator and veteran also takes offense to the duo firing veterans, making it increasingly hard for him to drive a Tesla vehicle around as a billboard promoting the company.

"What matters is, you know, doing the right thing. I think it's time to get rid of it. Elon Musk kind of turned out to be an a**hole,” he said.

Kelly later revealed that his new vehicle is a Chevy Tahoe from General Motors Company GM, a car he said was made by union labor and the United Auto Workers in Arlington, Texas.

"Always good to buy union cars," Kelly said.

Why It's Important: Kelly's switch from a Tesla to a gas-powered Tahoe generated plenty of criticism on X about how the senator doesn't care about the environment after choosing against electric vehicles.

New ride is here. Built by union labor here in America thanks to @UAW! pic.twitter.com/wfpNmY1qkZ
— Captain Mark Kelly (@CaptMarkKelly) March 16, 2025

The switch also comes after President Donald Trump recently held a sales pitch for Tesla at the White House where he bought a Tesla Model S that he isn't able to drive, but will let his staff drive. Trump did his best to recommend Tesla vehicles to Americans watching worldwide, while also saying he hopes Tesla's stock rises once again.

In a recent Benzinga reader poll, readers weren't overall won over by Trump's pitch.

"Donald Trump recently bought a Tesla. How does this affect your view of Tesla?" Benzinga asked.

Here are the results:

I will never own a Tesla: 53%
I'm more likely to buy a Tesla: 23%
I'm less likely to buy a Tesla: 14%
I already own a Tesla: 10%

The poll may have some bad news for Tesla fans and investors with the majority saying they will never own a Tesla vehicle.

The good news is that of undecided non-Tesla owners, 23% said they are more likely to buy a Tesla while 14% said they are less likely to buy a Tesla on account of Trump's purchase and sales pitch for the EV company.

A recent report from Electrek citing inventory checks and new order delivery timelines in the U.S. shows that so far Trump's purchase and event has had a minimal impact on Tesla's sales and demand.

Price Action: Tesla stock is down 4.0% to $240.10 on Monday versus a 52-week trading range of $138.80 to $488.54. Tesla stock is down 36.7% year-to-date in 2025 and up 38% over the last year.

Tesla stock is now trading below where it was when Trump won the 2024 election. Tesla stock closed at $251.44 on Nov. 5 and opened for trading at $284.67 on Nov. 6 after Trump’s victory was confirmed.

The stock is down over 50% from all-time highs set in December.

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