Dispute with Musk escalates: Senator splits with Tesla in video

Frankfurter Rundschau Dispute with Musk escalates: Senator splits with Tesla in video Kathrin Reikowski • 6 hrs. • 2 mins read In this article US Democrat Mark Kelly wants to get rid of his Tesla. He announced this on X – along with an accusation against Musk and Trump. Washington D.C. – "I'm here in Washington, driving my Tesla to work for the last time," said Democratic Senator Mark Kelly in a video posted on X on March 14. "When I bought this thing, I didn't think it would become a political issue. Every time I get in this car for the last 60 days, it reminds me of how much damage Elon Musk and Donald Trump are doing to our country." This isn't the first act of conflict between the two: For his visit to Kyiv, Ukraine, Kelly was publicly called a "traitor" by presidential advisor Elon Musk. The visit and the insult took place around the time of the White House scandal between Donald Trump, J.D. Vance, and Volodymyr Zelensky. US Senator: "Elon Musk has proven himself to be an asshole." "Elon Musk has proven himself to be an asshole. And I don't want to drive a car built and designed by an asshole," the Democrat said. He liked some things about the car, but didn't like others. But that doesn't matter. This video comes at the end of a week in which Donald Trump held a Tesla sales event in front of the White House in Washington, D.C. and publicly purchased a Tesla himself. In small but steady numbers, Americans are also protesting in front of Tesla factories and showrooms – and some are being led away in handcuffs. And so, as the senator explains in the video, anger over Musk's insults is not the reason for the Democrat's dispute with Elon Musk and the change of vehicle. The vehicle reminds him daily of what Musk and Trump are doing to the USA. His concerns are the efforts to abolish Social Security, to roll back healthcare for the poor and elderly, and the layoff of veterans; there's new bad news every day. Kelly's anger at Musk isn't because of the traitor accusation Kelly's anger at Musk isn't because of the traitor accusation. The senator expressed amusement about it. Kelly told CNN that he had to laugh at Elon Musk's accusation. The traitor accusation says much more about Musk than about him. He's less concerned about it than, for example, about the veterans who were fired from the Veterans Affairs Office due to Elon Musk's decisions. Even among Republican colleagues, there were jokes about Musk's "traitor" remark. Elon Musk, he said, is the person with the most power and influence in the US after Donald Trump. "And this person wastes his time on Twitter insulting me, insulting our veterans?" I don't think he's a serious person. (kat)