Arizona Senator Mark Kelly, a Democratic and former space shuttle commander who used to work with Elon Musk's SpaceX, has decided to sell his black Tesla Model S. This decision comes after Kelly publicly expressed his disagreements with Elon Musk, the world's richest man. In a published video, Kelly mentioned that when he bought the electric car, he did not expect it to become a political issue.
Over the past 60 days, Kelly has felt that every time he uses his Tesla, it reminds him of the damage that Elon Musk and Donald Trump are doing to the country. After considering this situation, Kelly decided to sell his Tesla and acquire a white Chevy Tahoe as a replacement. In an interview with Bloomberg News, Kelly called the Tesla a "mobile billboard" for Musk's work for the president.
Kelly's decision is also influenced by Musk's initiative to lead the Department of Government Efficiency, which has pressured agencies to reduce tens of thousands of employees. Kelly criticized Musk's actions in trying to lay off these people to make room and favor tax cuts for billionaires like him.
Senator Kelly and Elon Musk have a relationship that has become more public in recent times, with increasingly evident mutual criticism. Musk even called Kelly a "traitor" after his visit to Ukraine, while Kelly suggested that Musk should resign from government and refocus on SpaceX. Despite his previous enjoyment of the Tesla in 2022, Kelly has chosen to distance himself from the vehicle amid political and personal controversies.
