Elon Musk’s relationship with California has always been complex, but his recent shift towards a more MAGA-oriented stance has intensified the tension between him and the state.
Elon Musk, the tech executive, achieved incredible success by transforming Tesla into a dominant force in the automotive industry. His visionary approach, combined with the operational excellence of the East Bay manufacturing plant, propelled the company to new heights.
Additionally, Musk’s SpaceX venture, which launches rockets from the Southern California desert and central coast, has further solidified his position as a trailblazer in the field. It is worth noting that Musk’s success was also supported by substantial state subsidies, contributing to his formidable fortune.
But as Musk built connections with Democratic politicians like Gov. Gavin Newsom, he started to sour on the state that played a significant role in his success.
California officials have also started to criticize him. They expressed their concerns about his support for former President Donald Trump and his habit of spreading political falsehoods through social media. As a result, they recently rejected a Defense Department proposal to increase the number of SpaceX launches.
Musk’s stance on politically powerful labor unions and his persistent grievances about excessive regulations, although not uncommon among California business leaders, have taken a turn towards conservative viewpoints.
He has openly aligned himself with former President Donald Trump and has voiced his opposition to illegal immigration and what he refers to as “woke” policies, including legislation aimed at safeguarding transgender children.
He has joined forces with a growing group of outspoken Silicon Valley conservatives who have criticized San Francisco and California as cautionary examples, using their vast resources to support a Republican candidate for the presidency.
According to Lenny Mendonca, who served as the head of California’s business development agency, Elon Musk has never been particularly fond of California, even though Tesla owes its existence to the state.
Mendonca believes that Musk aligns himself with the techno-libertarian Silicon Valley community, rather than having a sophisticated political operation. He sees Musk’s recent actions as a political crusade detached from economic considerations.
In the final weeks of the election, the X owner is making use of his influential public platform to strongly advocate for voting Republican, warning that failing to do so could result in America resembling California.
Musk’s ideological evolution has positioned him as a staunch adversary of the Democratic party, which currently holds power in California. This has generated a mixture of confusion and exasperation among state officials who have interacted with Musk and his extensive business ventures.
According to a former senior executive at one of Musk’s companies, many other businesses and leaders would agree with the tech entrepreneur’s frustration with California’s challenging business climate.
According to the former executive, Musk’s sudden shift to the hard right was a significant departure from his previous stance.
According to an anonymous former executive, the influence of President Trump’s actions and the resulting political climate have had an impact on Elon Musk’s mindset.
The executive stated that there is a growing radicalization on Twitter, where Musk has become intrigued by various conspiracy theories, ranging from those involving Paul Pelosi to the events of January 6th.
Early Democratic ties
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A decade ago, Musk made it clear that he preferred to stay away from politics as much as he could. He had recently withdrawn from a tech-funded organization that aimed to achieve a federal immigration overhaul.
Musk had also donated money to candidates from both parties at the federal level. In California, his involvement was limited, with contributions made to the governor campaigns of Republican Arnold Schwarzenegger and Democrat Steve Westly in 2006, as well as to an oil severance tax ballot measure.
In addition, he supported Newsom’s 2014 reelection campaign for lieutenant governor, further strengthening their long-standing connection. During his tenure as mayor of San Francisco, the tech-savvy Newsom even participated in a PR event by driving a Tesla.
As lieutenant governor, Newsom had the opportunity to interview Musk on his television show and also attended a SpaceX groundbreaking event alongside him. Newsom didn’t hesitate to express his admiration for Musk, showering him with praise for his accomplishments.
In 2014, Newsom expressed his amazement at the thought of driving an electric car, particularly one made by Elon. He found it extraordinary that Elon had also achieved remarkable feats with SpaceX.
Furthermore, he believed it could become even more extraordinary in the next 15 years, as one could potentially obtain a round-trip ticket to Mars for $500,000, all thanks to Elon’s relentless pursuit of innovation.
In 2017, Musk hosted a fundraiser for Democratic Sen. Dianne Feinstein, aiming to develop support for his businesses, according to Bill Carrick, a longtime aide to Feinstein.
In an interview, Carrick explained that it was not the Feinstein campaign that approached him for money, but rather Newsom himself who initiated the event. Carrick also highlighted that Newsom made good use of California’s resources during the campaign.
The rightward shift
But in 2018, Musk’s political involvement took a different turn. He made a donation to then-Speaker Kevin McCarthy’s campaign to support the Republican House majority.
This move aligned him with California’s influential Republican figure and a significant ally of former President Donald Trump. Musk even went the extra mile by flying to Washington to celebrate McCarthy’s birthday.
Tesla and SpaceX had been engaging with policymakers in Sacramento for quite some time, advocating for various issues such as clean vehicle rebates, charging infrastructure, and the state’s efforts to attract a battery plant through tax credits.
According to an anonymous lobbyist who worked for Musk’s companies, he wasn’t particularly interested in government affairs.
In 2020, Musk openly engaged in a public debate regarding Covid-19 restrictions, which vividly highlighted his growing frustration with the state of California.
During the height of the pandemic, his initial response was to offer assistance by pledging to provide ventilators. However, these promises proved to be empty as he failed to deliver on them.
Unfortunately, his goodwill was short-lived. Just a few weeks later, Mus openly criticized the shutdown orders, going as far as labeling them as “fascist.” He even refused to comply with the orders to halt operations at the Fremont plant and took legal action by suing the county.
“This is the last straw,” Musk declared on Twitter, promising to relocate Tesla’s headquarters to Texas.
Many Democrats were bothered by that act of defiance. Then-Assemblymember Lorena Gonzalez expressed her disapproval with a now-infamous tweet that read “f*ck Elon Musk.”
In an interview, Gonzalez, who currently leads the influential California Labor Federation, stated that she saw Musk’s alignment with conservative politics as something that could have been anticipated.
According to Gonzalez, it is evident that he no longer feels the pressure to align with progressive values as he did in the past. He used to rely on the support of progressives who purchased his car and solar batteries.
Liberal politicians and consumers held him in high regard, and he had to maintain that image in order to establish himself in the industry.
It appears that the Fremont altercation did not prove to be the breaking point for Musk. Newsom played a role in diffusing the situation, and a couple of years later, they were exchanging friendly remarks and sharing a laugh about Newsom’s early Tesla purchase outside the company’s newly established engineering headquarters in Palo Alto.
The California breakup
However, Musk’s connection with California and the Democratic Party was falling apart.
In late 2020, he sold his Los Angeles real estate and relocated to Texas. In 2021, he expressed his disappointment to the Babylon Bee, stating that the state had transformed from “the land of opportunity” to “the land of excessive regulation, litigation, and taxation.”
The following year, he criticized the restrictive building regulations in California, publicly identified as a Republican, and actively campaigned for Governor Ron DeSantis.
Newsom speculated that Musk’s motivations for moving to Texas were driven by the allure of Republican tax credits available in red states.
Newsom dismissed the SpaceX decision, deeming it impractical, and derided Musk for capitulating to Trump. This year, their conflicts resurfaced when Musk shared a manipulated video of Vice President Kamala Harris.
In response, Newsom pledged to outlaw political “deepfakes,” which he subsequently enacted through legislation. Musk cautioned that a Harris triumph would result in extensive censorship.
Newsom fired back at Mr. Musk, saying, “Mr. Musk missed the punchline.” However, it is worth noting that the law has been blocked in court since then.
Governor Newsom backed SpaceX’s proposal for more rocket launches from Vandenberg Space Force Base along the central California coast, despite worries from environmentalists about potential disruption to the area’s delicate bird habitat.
The Coastal Commission’s appointed members voted against it, with the majority rejecting the proposal. Although the decision was primarily driven by concerns regarding the potential classification of SpaceX launches as military activities and their exemption from further permitting, the commissioners also criticized Musk’s personal conduct on multiple occasions.
Commission Chair Caryl Hart expressed her concern about the company’s intrusive involvement in the presidential race and criticized the management approach of its CEO. She found their actions to be quite unsettling.
Politicians who have had the opportunity to meet Musk over the years are now grappling with understanding his ideological evolution, as California Democrats rally behind Harris and Musk endeavors to thwart her.
Former state Sen. Bob Wieckowski, who represented Fremont, shared his memories of the arrival of the Tesla plant, which brought a sense of pride and optimism to the community.
Reflecting on the changes, he finds it challenging to reconcile the current version of Elon Musk with the one who was once invited to speak to the Senate Democratic caucus in Sacramento ten years ago.
California Senator Wieckowski expressed his confusion over the phenomenon of supporting either the Brazilian wing or the American right wing and spreading misinformation. He highlighted that such behavior was not observed in the years 2015 or 2016.
