On Wednesday, Ross Gerber posted on X that while Elon Musk’s decision to move away from DOGE is a “good start,” it “doesn’t change his tweeting garbage daily.”
Gerber, who has long been a prominent Tesla supporter, argued that the company’s brand has taken a serious hit. “The Tesla brand is severely tainted at this point. Damage is done,” he wrote.
Fallout From DOGE and the Trump Alliance
His frustration comes amid ongoing scrutiny of Musk’s role in the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), a controversial initiative under President Donald Trump aimed at slashing federal bureaucracy.
Musk, serving as a special government employee, has said he intends to step down once DOGE’s work is complete, likely by the end of May.
Still, rumors of a rift between Trump and Musk picked up steam after Politico reported that Trump told allies Musk would soon leave Washington.
The White House swiftly denied it, calling the report “garbage.” Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt said Musk will remain until DOGE’s work is done.
Musk also dismissed the story as “fake news”—but only after markets responded positively to the idea of him stepping away from politics.
Adding to the confusion, Elon Musk previously said he would stay in government “as long as it’s useful and productive” and estimated DOGE’s work would be mostly done within 130 days. That timeline puts his potential exit around late May.
Meanwhile, Trump didn’t directly address the story, instead focusing on announcing massive new tariffs that triggered a market selloff.
Denholm Under Fire
Gerber also took aim at Tesla Board Chair Robyn Denholm, accusing her of failing to represent shareholder interests while cashing in.
“Robyn Denholm is the woman paid off to do NOTHING to protect the 83% of Tesla investors she is negligently representing. She only represents one shareholder, Musk,” Garber wrote.
His comments followed a Reuters report revealing that Denholm has earned about $682 million since joining Tesla’s board in 2014, mostly through stock.
She has reportedly sold around $532 million worth of Tesla shares and came under fire for supporting Musk’s $56 billion pay package—the largest in corporate history.
Growing Tension Around Tesla
Gerber’s criticism reflects a broader discontent among investors and analysts.
Wedbush Securities analyst Dan Ives recently noted that “Tesla investors are seeing patience wear thin” as Musk appears increasingly distracted. Ives also pointed out the CEO hasn’t been spotted at any Tesla factory in months.
Meanwhile, Tesla is dealing with public protests tied to Musk’s political involvement. Demonstrators have shown up at Tesla showrooms across the country.
Gerber himself posted footage of one such protest in Santa Monica, where his 9-year-old concluded, “I’m glad we don’t have a Tesla.”
Behind the scenes, some Trump insiders are reportedly frustrated with Musk’s behavior and political instincts, including a controversial claim that Social Security is “the biggest Ponzi scheme of all time.”
A recent Marquette poll found 58% of respondents disapprove of Musk’s work with DOGE, and his own favorability is underwater at 38%.
Stock Woes and Value Questions
Tesla’s stock has taken a beating, dropping nearly 50% since mid-December. Even with the decline, Gerber believes the company is still overvalued.
“There’s this game that is happening now where the fundamental story has to be revalued,” he said, pointing to Tesla’s forward P/E ratio being more than triple the S&P 500 average.
Despite this, Musk has promised to double U.S. vehicle production within two years. But for Gerber and others, that may not be enough to reverse the damage already done to Tesla’s image and investor confidence.
IMAGE CREDIT: “Elon Musk” by Gage Skidmore, via Flickr. Licensed under CC BY-SA 2.0. Image adjusted for layout.