Tesla owners not too surprised by Pres. Trump-Elon Musk feud – WPEC
Now
75°
Sun
94°
Mon
92°
by Al Pefley
WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. (CBS12) — One of President Donald Trump's biggest allies has been shown the door.
Elon Musk has left the White House and he and Trump are at odds.
What do Tesla owners think of this?
It isn't hard to find Tesla owners. They stop at charging stations, such as one in Riviera Beach on Blue Heron Blvd., to keep their prized vehicles fully charged and ready to go.
The spat between President Donald Trump and Elon Musk seems to be a hot topic right now with Tesla owners.
"It's shocking honestly, you know they had a great connection the whole time," said Tesla-owner Khadijah Reed, a Ft. Lauderdale real estate agent.
She's aware of the rift between President Donald Trump and Tesla CEO Elon Musk.
"As far as my vehicle I feel like it was a good purchase," she said. "I feel fine with it. I feel safe with it."
President Trump and Musk are feuding after Musk harshly criticized a major tax bill that Trump hopes Congress will pass.
Musk is also linking Trump to disgraced sex trafficker Jeffrey Epstein, saying Trump's name is in unreleased files in the Epstein case.
Trump is said to be mulling giving away or selling a red Tesla he bought in March.
"Does it surprise you that they've had this dispute?" we asked
When asked if he was asked if he was surprised by the dispute, another Tesla driver, Mark Sajus, replied, "Oh no. They're both two big personalities. You know when two energies collide with each other, that happens all the time."
See Also: Tesla stock takes 14% nosedive as Trump, Musk scuffle over 'big, beautiful bill'
Another Tesla owner agrees.
"I think that it was inevitable," Coral Gables' Lawrence Curtis said.
Tesla drivers across the country have already been dealing with vandalism to their vehicles when President Trump and Musk were on good terms.
CBS12 News asked them if they are worried this feud will increase the chance of vandalism again.
"Maybe. I mean it depends on how passionate people are about the whole situation," said Katie Buchanan, a Chicago resident and Tesla driver.
"I think people are too nice nowadays," said Maksym Lototskyy, a nurse from Lake Worth who owns a Tesla. "They don't want to go out and do something crazy and vandalize things and get in trouble and get arrested, so they might speak it, but they will never do it."
"I'm not gonna be motivated in my life out of fear. I think society is too fear-based as it is but I personally am not gonna make a decision on the possibility that someone's gonna harass me, throw paint on it or anything like that," Curtis said.
None of the Tesla drivers asked said they're considering selling their car.
Trump and Musk may not be fond of each other, but it seems many Tesla owners are still fond of their car.
Find more ways to stay up to date with your latest local news. Sign up for our newsletter to get the day's top headlines delivered right to your inbox. Subscribe to our YouTube channel for the biggest stories and can't miss video.
2026 Sinclair, Inc.
