Last week, Musk labeled the Arizona Democrat a “traitor” for visiting Ukraine. On Friday, Kelly posted a video to X, the social media site owned by Musk, saying that he was taking his last ride in the Tesla he owns.
“Elon Musk kind of turned out to be an asshole,” Kelly said in the video. “I don’t want to be driving a car built and designed by an asshole.”
I bought a Tesla because it was fast like a rocket ship. But now every time I drive it, I feel like a rolling billboard for a man dismantling our government and hurting people. So Tesla, you’re fired!
— Captain Mark Kelly (@CaptMarkKelly) March 14, 2025
New ride coming soon. pic.twitter.com/N4Anmsi6cH
Spokesperson Jacob Peters and Kelly’s office did not respond to an inquiry from Phoenix New Times about whether the car has been sold or what other types of vehicles Kelly is looking to buy.
Kelly, known for his proclivity for bipartisan collaboration and aversion to verbal combat, has embraced a new, no-fucks-given tone regarding Musk. The former astronaut and Navy fighter pilot has made his disdain known for the unelected billionaire (and real-life deep state shadow president) who is dismantling the federal government.
When Musk called Kelly a “traitor,” Kelly clapped back. “Elon, if you don’t understand that defending freedom is a basic tenet of what makes America great and keeps us safe, maybe you should leave it to those of us who do,” the former astronaut wrote on X. In February, Kelly jumped into a social media back-and-forth between Musk and two other astronauts, including his twin brother, Scott.
“Hey @ElonMusk,” Kelly wrote, “when you finally get the nerve to climb into a rocket ship, come talk to the three of us.”
Kelly’s latest barb is further evidence of Musk’s toxic association with the Tesla brand. Musk’s roughshod wrecking of federal agencies via his Department of Government Efficiency has been tremendously unpopular and sparked a backlash against the car company and its fans.
Tesla’s stock has taken a huge hit since Trump took office, down about 34% since the beginning of the year. On Tuesday, President Donald Trump did his biggest campaign donor a favor by conducting a garish Tesla commercial in front of the White House, which was about as brazen a display of corruption as any in American history. (Notably, not in small part due to contracts with the federal government, many of Musk’s other companies have been doing well.)
That's created the perception that owning a Tesla means co-signing for Musk and Trump’s bricking of the federal government. And Kelly seems to have concluded that if you want to lob bombs at Musk for screwing over Americans, you probably shouldn’t drive the guy’s cars.
“When I bought this thing, I didn’t think it was going to become a political issue,” Kelly said in the video. “Every time I get in this car in the last 60 days or so, it reminds me of just how much damage Elon Musk and Donald Trump is doing to our country.”
