Elon Musk's political meandering have hurt Tesla, but are its staunch believers and investors ready to let go?

Elon Musk intends to focus more on his job as Tesla CEO, but it’s unclear if the billionaire will be able to solve a big problem of his own making: damage to its brand.

By Akash Sriram and Abhirup Roy (Reuters) -Tesla investors breathed a sigh of relief after CEO Elon Musk said he would refocus his attention on the electric automaker, but that promise did not entirely dispel worries that his right-wing shift had irrevocably damaged the company's brand.

Tesla (TSLA) has been facing an increasing number of challenges since 2025 began. Between the ongoing threat posed by the trade war and the anti-brand sentiment sparked by Elon Musk’s political affiliations,

Musk’s management style has always been a lightning rod. His focus on speed and impatience allows him to advance technologies at a breakneck pace.

Elon Musk said Waymo can't compete with Tesla in part due to costs. Ex-Waymo CEO John Krafcik told BI those concerns are "trivial."

Rule changes announced by the Trump administration this week could allow automakers to report fewer crashes involving self-driving cars, with Tesla potentially emerging as the main beneficiary.

The Trump administration announcement that it aims to speed deployment of self-driving vehicles by exempting some from certain safety requirements and easing rules requiring reporting of safety incidents sent Tesla shares up nearly 10% on Friday.

KEY TAKEAWAYS Tesla shares jumped Friday, extending their recent rally after CEO Elon Musk said he would spend more of his time focusing on Tesla, as the Trump administration moved to loosen rules around self-driving cars.