# Democratic Senator Mark Kelly to let go of his Tesla over Musk’s federal cuts

Arizona senator had also clashed with billionaire over the latter’s ‘traitor’ jibe after Kelly posted about his Ukraine visit

The  Democratic senator Mark Kelly announced he was ditching his Tesla car, because of brand owner Elon Musk’s role in  federal budgets and staffing and attendant threats to social benefits programs.

“Every time I get in this car in the last 60 days or so, it reminds me of just how much damage  and Donald Trump is doing to our country,” Kelly said, in video posted to X, the social media platform owned by Musk.

Kelly also said he did not want to be “driving the car built and designed by an asshole”.

Kelly and Musk first  after Musk responded to messages Kelly posted about a trip to Ukraine – criticizing  regarding military aid to Ukraine troops as they fight against Russian invaders – by calling him a “traitor”.

Kelly called Musk “not a serious guy” and added: “Traitor? 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.”

Musk is the world’s richest person but his focus is currently domestic,  through the so-called department of government efficiency, or Doge.

 shows such cuts are unpopular. Musk’s move into politics has also had an adverse effect on some of his businesses, in the case of Tesla  boycotts and vandalism and seeing  and  fall. Earlier this week, it all led Trump to  at the White House.

On Friday, Kelly joined Americans including the singer  in dumping his Tesla, alluding to his past as a Nasa astronaut by saying: “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!”

In , Kelly said he was driving to work in the car for the last time.

“When I bought this thing,” he . “I didn’t think it was going to become a political issue. 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  doing to our country, talking about slashing social security, cutting healthcare benefits for poor people, for seniors. It’s one bad thing after the next.  firing veterans. I’m a veteran.”

Kelly’s language reflected a trend of  using profane language in an attempt to better communicate with voters, particularly on social platforms and podcasts, seeking to bypass traditional media.

On Friday, Musk did not immediately respond to Kelly. He did post complaints about vandalism done to Teslas and Tesla stores,  of which compared such actions to Kristallnacht, the “Night of the Broken Glass” in 1938 when Nazis in Germany attacked Jewish people and businesses.

Musk remains the subject of controversy over his behavior at Trump’s inauguration, when he gave .
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