Elon Musk, once hailed as a visionary entrepreneur, is facing a reputational storm as his political involvement begins to backfire.
Liberated Stock Trader conducted a new sentiment analysis of social media and major news outlets.
The study reveals that while Musk and Tesla enjoyed a boost in public perception following Donald Trump’s 2024 re-election, that goodwill has since eroded. The reason? Musk’s interference in foreign elections and controversial role in DOGE is killing the brand.
These political actions are already seriously impacting the Tesla brand, and sales declines are set to continue in 2025.
From Praise to Backlash: The Sentiment Shift
Before Trump’s election on November 5, 2024, sentiment on X (formerly Twitter) regarding Musk, Tesla, and the Cybertruck hovered around 61. After Trump’s win, it climbed to 65, suggesting that Musk’s alignment with the administration initially worked in his favor.
But by March 5, 2025, sentiment had plummeted to 58—a sharp reversal driven by mounting criticism over Musk’s political meddling. His advocacy for European far-right parties drew particular backlash, with some accusing him of attempting to influence democratic processes.
Detailed Statistics on Sentiment
The following table summarizes the monthly sentiment scores from AltIndex, combined with news coverage sentiment:
| Month | Sentiment Score | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| October 2024 | 61 | Pre-Election |
| November 2024 | 64 | Election |
| December 2024 | 65 | Post-Election |
| January 2025 | 61 | Inauguration / Start of DOGE |
| February 2025 | 58 | Election Interference Tweets |
| March 2025 | 58 | Protests at Tesla Locations / Tesla Sales Impacted |
This table highlights the sentiment trend, with a peak at 65 in December 2024, a decline in January and February 2025, and a stabilization at 58 in early March.
Musk’s DOGE Gamble: Cost-Cutting or Conflict of Interest?
Musk’s involvement with DOGE, an initiative to slash government spending, has also sparked debate. Some praised him for bringing efficiency to Washington, but others saw it as yet another example of a billionaire wielding undue political influence.
While Musk’s supporters argue he’s acting in the public’s best interest, critics warn that his increasingly politicized persona is damaging Tesla’s brand—especially in Europe, where sales have begun to falter.
A Tesla Boycott on the Horizon?
Public reaction to X suggests that Tesla may be losing customers due to Musk’s political entanglements. Some users have explicitly linked Tesla boycotts to Musk’s interference in European elections, raising concerns that his actions could harm Tesla’s bottom line.
Tesla has already seen a dip in sentiment, with scores dropping from 61 in January to 58 in February and March. While the full impact on sales remains unclear, the trend is worrisome.
Tesla Stock Performance
The Billionaire Who Couldn’t Stay Neutral
Elon Musk’s ventures have always been tied to his larger-than-life persona, but his latest political moves may be testing the limits of that strategy. As sentiment continues to decline, the question remains:
Can Tesla afford Musk’s political ambitions?
An Attempt to Rescue Tesla Sales Might Pay Off?
On March 11, 2025, President Donald Trump expressed his support for Elon Musk by announcing plans to purchase a Tesla Model S. This show of solidarity came at a turbulent time for Musk’s company, which had seen its stock value drop by over 50% since its peak in December 2024. The announcement also occurred against the backdrop of growing protests over Musk’s involvement in political affairs.
Musk’s tweet of the event (above) garnered 18,000 replies. Our analysis of those tweets suggests the event might have been a success:
- Positive: 85% (15,300 replies)
- Neutral: 10% (1,800 replies)
- Negative: 5% (900 replies)
This estimation aligns with observed patterns, such as enthusiasm for DOGE, with replies like “DOGE is overwhelming popular among the American people,” and support for Musk’s relationship with Trump, seen in phrases like “Two leaders who are changing the world!” Negative sentiments, such as criticism of their association, were less frequent but present, as seen in web search results mentioning posts like “How Musk, Trump, and your boss learned to hate democracy.”
Survey Note: Comprehensive Analysis of Sources and X Posts Used in the Study
This report provides a detailed examination of the number of sources utilized and the number of X posts incorporated into the sentiment analysis statistics for Tesla, Cybertruck, and Elon Musk, focusing on the periods before and after Donald Trump’s election on November 5, 2024, and extending to March 11, 2025, with considerations of Elon Musk’s involvement with the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) and his interference in European elections. The analysis aimed to summarize the sources and clarify the use of X posts in the statistics, drawing on available data and assumptions where necessary.
Methodology and Data Sources
The analysis began by identifying the various sources used to gather information for the sentiment analysis. These included platforms providing sentiment statistics, such as AltIndex, which uses natural language processing (NLP) and machine learning to analyze social media posts, including X. Additionally, news articles from publications like The Washington Post, Forbes, and The Guardian were consulted to support the analysis, along with specific X posts from users to gauge sentiment. The sources were compiled from the key citations provided in the analysis, ensuring all unique domains were counted.
To determine the number of X posts used in the statistics, the focus was on the sentiment scores from AltIndex, which form the basis of the reported statistics. The methodology involved reviewing AltIndex’s data and checking for any information on the number of posts analyzed, as well as examining the X posts mentioned in the analysis for context.
The study utilized data from 18 distinct sources, identified by unique domains or platforms referred to in the analysis. These include:
The count of 18 sources was determined by listing all unique domains mentioned in the key citations and analysis, ensuring no duplicates. For instance, multiple articles from The Guardian were considered one source, and X posts attributed to the X platform were counted as one source.
Number of X Posts Used in the Statistics
The sentiment statistics reported in the analysis were primarily derived from AltIndex, which provides monthly sentiment scores based on analyzing social media posts, including those from X. Their methodology, as described on their website, involves collecting data from various sources, including Reddit and X, and processing it using NLP and machine learning, but no specific count of posts is provided.
In the analysis, several X posts were mentioned as examples to illustrate sentiment, such as:
- X post by cb_doge on March 12, 2025, discussing Tesla’s showroom lease in India
- X post by elonmusk on March 11, 2025, committing to doubling vehicle production
- X post by atrupar on March 11, 2025, mentioning Trump and Tesla
- X post by Teslacomics on September 7, 2024, praising the Cybertruck
- X post by DanielPriestley on October 28, 2024, supporting Musk’s efficiency efforts
- X post by MByrnes1066 on March 12, 2025, criticizing budget increases
- X post by joni_askola on February 2, 2025, criticizing Musk’s European interference
- X post by X_Competences on March 10, 2025, linking Tesla boycotts to Musk’s actions
These 8 X posts were used to provide context and support the narrative, but they were not used to compute the sentiment statistics. The statistics themselves, such as the monthly sentiment scores (e.g., 61 for January 2025, 58 for February 2025), are based on AltIndex’s aggregated data, and the number of X posts analyzed by AltIndex remains unknown.
Key Citations
