Musk’s Business and Reputation Are Affected by Fallout
Musk suffered significant losses during his tenure in the Trump administration. Tesla’s stock fell. His businesses were boycotted by protesters. Lawsuits were piling up. Despite receiving $25 million in campaign funds, one Wisconsin judicial candidate he supported lost.
Musk appeared to be aware of the cost. He told Ars Technica, “I think I probably did spend a bit too much time on politics.” “On the government side, the relative time allocation was probably a bit excessive.”
Additionally, he called DOGE a “whipping boy” who was held responsible for everything, telling The Washington Post that the federal bureaucracy was “much worse than I realised.”
According to the New York Times, Musk had earlier promised an additional $100 million to support Trump-aligned PACs prior to the 2026 midterm elections, but the funds have not yet been released.
At a Qatari economic symposium, Musk stated, “I believe I’ve done enough.”
