Tesla Hypocrisy: Democrats Invest in Elon Musk's Company While Criticizing Him

Tesla seems to be caught in the middle of a political firestorm, with Democrats publicly criticizing Elon Musk while quietly investing in his company. Recent weeks have seen a surge in violent incidents targeting Tesla, including a firebomb attack on a dealership in Las Vegas and vandalism of Tesla vehicles across the U.S. Meanwhile, a website called "DOGEQUEST" has been established to leak personal information about Tesla owners, essentially painting a target on them.

Despite the heated rhetoric, some high-profile Democrats appear to have no qualms about profiting from Tesla's success. Representatives Josh Gottheimer (D-N.J.), Vicente Gonzalez (D-Texas), Gil Cisneros (D-Calif.), and Ro Khanna (D-Calif.) have all purchased Tesla shares since Donald Trump’s presidency began. Irony, much?

Although figures like Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-N.Y.) have publicly labeled Musk as "sympathetic to Nazis" and "unintelligent," their colleagues seem to be hedging their bets on Tesla’s stock. AOC’s biting words may make headlines, but actions speak louder than tweets when it comes to their wallets.

Back in March 2025, numerous other House Democrats—Pat Ryan (D-N.Y.), Jared Moskowitz (D-Fla.), Adam Smith (D-Wash.), and Dwight Evans (D-Pa.)—were also reported to own Tesla shares. This comes despite Musk facing backlash for supporting Trump during the last presidential election. Talk about a complicated relationship.

In one eyebrow-raising example, Rep. Cisneros criticized Musk and Trump’s administration for being "atrocious" while calling Musk "the one calling the shots." Yet, just days later, he purchased between $1,001 and $15,000 worth of Tesla stock. The timing may be coincidental, but the optics are hard to ignore.

Rep. Gottheimer, for his part, issued a scathing statement in February condemning Musk’s "unchecked access" to Americans’ private data. However, around the same time, he disclosed buying up to $45,000 in Tesla shares. Suddenly, all that outrage seems like a prelude to another stock purchase.

Even Rep. Gonzalez, who voiced concerns about DOGEQUEST's activities, reportedly bought between $65,000 and $150,000 worth of Tesla stock this month. It’s almost as if their criticism of Musk comes with a side of "buy low, sell high." Opportunism? Possibly.

Adding to the drama, White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt accused Democrats of abandoning their former support for electric vehicles and Tesla purely because of Musk’s alignment with Trump. Leavitt didn’t mince words, calling the vandalism against Tesla "domestic terrorism" and condemning the hypocrisy. "The Democrats used to be the greatest cheerleaders for Tesla until Musk decided to support and vote for Donald Trump," she said.

It’s hard not to notice the glaring contradictions. On one hand, Democrats lambast Musk and his antics; on the other, they’re lining their portfolios with Tesla stock. Perhaps the Democrats need to decide whether Musk is a villain or a visionary—or maybe just a good investment.