"Last Workday... You're Fired" US Senator Clashes with Musk Over Tesla Disposal

"Elon Musk Ruins People's Lives," Senator Criticizes

Mark Kelly, a Democratic U.S. Senator from Arizona who had a public spat with Elon Musk, CEO of Tesla, declared that he would get rid of his Tesla car.

US President Donald Trump and Tesla CEO Elon Musk are sitting in a Tesla Model S talking with reporters on the 11th (local time). Photo by AP Yonhap News

On the 14th (local time), Senator Kelly posted on X (formerly Twitter), "I bought a Tesla because it was as fast as a rocket, but now every time I drive this car, I feel like a billboard for someone who shakes our government and harms people," adding, "So Tesla, you're fired." In a video he shared, he said, "Today was my last commute in my Tesla in Washington," and criticized, "Every time I drove this car over the past 60 days, I was reminded of how much damage Elon Musk and Donald Trump have done to our country."

Mark Kelly, Democratic U.S. Senator from Arizona. Photo by Reuters and Yonhap News.

He also used profanity to insult Musk. Senator Kelly continued, "His attempt to fire everyone is just to ruin their lives and create room for massive tax breaks for billionaires like himself," emphasizing, "Now is the time to get rid of this car."

Earlier, on the 10th, Musk had called Senator Kelly a "traitor" on X after Kelly visited Ukraine. This was presumed to be because Kelly visited Ukraine shortly after the Trump administration halted aid to Ukraine in an effort to secure a peace agreement. In response, Senator Kelly retorted, "Quit government work and go back to running SpaceX."

The NASA veteran politician is said to have known Musk, who leads the space company SpaceX, for a long time. Before Musk became President Trump's "first buddy," he even praised Tesla cars. However, since Senator Kelly was once considered as a running mate (vice presidential candidate) for Kamala Harris, the Democratic presidential candidate in the last election, U.S. media analyze that he has recently taken a sharp stance against Musk, who has been leading the Trump administration's firing of public officials and cuts in public spending.

American singer-songwriter Sheryl Crow is greeting the truck carrying her Tesla electric car. Photo by Sheryl Crow Instagram

Meanwhile, Senator Kelly is not the only one deciding to dispose of their Tesla car. In February, famous American singer-songwriter Cheryl Crow (63) announced that she would donate her Tesla vehicle to public broadcasting, which Musk had threatened. Also, Nicola Fratoianni, co-leader of the Italian Green Left Alliance (AVS) and a member of the Chamber of Deputies, who has strongly criticized Musk, along with his wife, Elisabetta Piccolotti, also a member of the Chamber of Deputies from the same party, have fiercely criticized Musk's far-right actions and interference in other countries' internal affairs during the Trump administration. When it became known that the couple owned Tesla vehicles, Representative Piccolotti stated, "I bought it before Musk became a 'Nazi' and before the situation changed," and decided to sell the Tesla vehicles at a loss.