Trump vows to buy a Tesla as stock crashes: Can he save Elon Musk’s empire?

Tesla shares plummeted over 15% on Monday, closing at $222.15—the lowest since late October—capping a brutal 2025 where the stock has shed 45% of its value. The dramatic sell-off reflects growing pessimism about Tesla’s global sales, battered by fierce competition from Chinese electric vehicle (EV) makers and Musk’s polarizing alignment with Trump and far-right causes.

In a late-night Truth Social post, Trump praised Musk for “putting it on the line” to support the nation, claiming that “Radical Left Lunatics” were orchestrating an “illegal and collusive boycott” of Tesla, which he called “one of the World’s great automakers” and Musk’s “baby.” The endorsement appeared to buoy investor sentiment, with Tesla stock rising more than 3% in pre-market trading on Tuesday. Musk, who invested $270 million in Trump’s 2024 campaign and celebrated his victory over Kamala Harris, has become a key figure in the administration’s Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), pushing aggressive federal downsizing.

However, Musk’s political stances are proving costly. Analysts link Tesla’s woes—both in stock value and sales—to his embrace of Trump and far-right figures globally, alienating its traditionally progressive, affluent customer base. Tesla showrooms in the U.S. have faced protests and vandalism, with one Colorado dealership attacked with Molotov cocktails and defaced with “Nazi cars” graffiti, leading to federal charges against a suspect. Some Tesla owners are even slapping disclaimers like “I bought it before Elon went nuts” on their cars to dodge backlash.

Sales data paints a grim picture. Tesla recorded its first annual global sales decline in 2024, with a 45% drop in Europe in January and a near-halving of sales in China last month, though competition drives much of the latter. In California, Tesla’s top U.S. market, demand is tanking, and UBS analysts predict a 5% delivery drop this year, citing short delivery times as evidence of waning interest. Musk’s provocative rhetoric—backing Germany’s far-right party, slamming the UK prime minister as an “evil tyrant,” and dismissing Canada as “not a real country”—hasn’t helped. Meanwhile, his other ventures falter: X suffered a “massive” cyberattack on Monday, and a SpaceX rocket exploded last week, echoing earlier failures. As Tesla stumbles, Trump’s loyalty may be a lifeline—but for how long?