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<p>During the 2024 U.S. presidential election, Tesla CEO Elon Musk endorsed the Republican nominee Donald Trump, contributed nearly $250 million to PACs supporting his candidacy, and grew close to Trump as a prominent figure in his second administration through his involvement with the Department of Government Efficiency, prior to his withdrawal from the Trump inner circle in May 2025. We contend his alliance with Trump politicized his electric vehicle company Tesla, polarized the carmaker’s brand image and reputation, and likely resulted in partisan consumerism. Using daily brand tracking data, we find support for these contentions across a variety of brand perception metrics including quality, value, employment reputation, and purchase considerations. Specifically, we show that, on average, Democrats grew to view Tesla more negatively while Republicans warmed to the brand in the aftermath of Musk’s endorsement of Trump and in the early months of his second administration. Consumers are responsive to partisan activity by corporate leaders and appear willing to adapt their views of corporate brands and purchasing behaviors to align with and express their partisan allegiances. Corporate leaders engage in partisan politics at the peril of their brand images and, ultimately, even the bottom line.</p>

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Tesla Takedown: Brand Politicization and Partisan Consumerism in the Trump Era

  • 期刊论文

  • 出版模式：

    开放获取

  • 发表日期：

    2026年5月19日

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  • Kyle Endres,
  • Donald P. Green,
  • Costas Panagopoulos

摘要

During the 2024 U.S. presidential election, Tesla CEO Elon Musk endorsed the Republican nominee Donald Trump, contributed nearly $250 million to PACs supporting his candidacy, and grew close to Trump as a prominent figure in his second administration through his involvement with the Department of Government Efficiency, prior to his withdrawal from the Trump inner circle in May 2025. We contend his alliance with Trump politicized his electric vehicle company Tesla, polarized the carmaker’s brand image and reputation, and likely resulted in partisan consumerism. Using daily brand tracking data, we find support for these contentions across a variety of brand perception metrics including quality, value, employment reputation, and purchase considerations. Specifically, we show that, on average, Democrats grew to view Tesla more negatively while Republicans warmed to the brand in the aftermath of Musk’s endorsement of Trump and in the early months of his second administration. Consumers are responsive to partisan activity by corporate leaders and appear willing to adapt their views of corporate brands and purchasing behaviors to align with and express their partisan allegiances. Corporate leaders engage in partisan politics at the peril of their brand images and, ultimately, even the bottom line.