It turns out that firing over 200,000 people from government jobs isn’t the best way for people to embrace you.

Elon Musk found out the hard way now that Tesla’s sales have fallen 71%, a sharp drop compared to the first quarter of 2024. 

The dip comes from several challenges the Musk-run company has faced, including competition from foreign-brand electric vehicles and trade issues stemming from the tariff wars President Donald Trump has plunged manufacturers into. 

It doesn’t help that Musk so closely aligned himself with Trump, beginning with donating millions to his campaign and running the Department of Government Efficiency or DOGE. The effort was supposed to remove bureaucratic waste within the government, but it turned into Musk firing thousands of people who kept several government entities —including the IRS and Department of Education— running smoothly. 

Consumers aren’t just acting on their disdain for Musk by refusing to buy his cars, they’re also destroying ones in sales lots via graffiti and setting them on fire. 

During an earnings call, Musk even realized his beef with the everyday man. He expects some bumps in the road this year but defended his time in Washington, D.C., saying, “If the ship of America goes down, we all go down with it. There are some challenges, and I expect that this year will be, there will probably be some unexpected bumps this year,” Musk added.

“But I remain extremely optimistic about the future of the company.”

Perhaps one of his smartest ideas is stepping back a bit from DOGE beginning in May, which will wreak less governmental havoc because stopping the bleeding at Tesla should be his primary focus.

“My time allocation to DOGE will drop significantly,” Musk said. Later adding,  “I think I’ll continue to spend a day or two per week on government matters for as long as the president would like me to do so, and as long as it is useful.”

He also hopes that launching more affordable versions of the brand’s most popular models later this year revs up sales.

Musk’s duties switching up in May are right on time with his 130-day special government employee status, which expires at the end of that month. 

Even with his schedule changing, he’ll still remain MAGA BFFs with Trump, who’s said he wants to keep Musk around “as long as possible,” and clarifies that no matter what, “DOGE will stay active.”

See how social media is reacting to Musk’s company’s flailing quarter.