Tesla CEO Elon Musk has stepped up his criticism of the Democratic Party, labeling it the party of “division” and “hate” in a recent tweet. He also said he would vote Republican.
“But they have become the party of division & hate, so I can no longer support them and will vote Republican. Now, watch their dirty tricks campaign against me unfold ...”
Since announcing a takeover offer for Twitter, Musk has repeatedly said he’s become the target of attacks from the left.
“Political attacks on me will escalate dramatically in coming months,” Musk wrote again on June 15.
Several Republicans have cheered Musk’s tweets.
“Welcome, Elon. Glad to have you,” Rep. Paul Gosar (R.-Ariz.) wrote on Twitter.
Musk’s tweet came following Tesla’s removal from a key stock index S&P 500 ESG Index, which tracks the performance of companies based on environmental, social, and governance (ESG) criteria. S&P Global Ratings cited issues including racial discrimination claims and poor working conditions at Tesla’s Fremont factory as the rationale for the exclusion.
Musk wasn’t pleased with the decision, calling ESG investing “a scam.”
On June 15, Tesla shares fell nearly 7 percent due to a widespread market sell-off. This year, the company’s stock has declined by almost 40 percent.
He stated in a podcast interview that he voted “overwhelmingly for Democrats” in the past, but slammed the current administration and the party’s policies.
“The real president is whoever controls the teleprompter,” Musk said of Biden. “The path to power is the path to the teleprompter.”
In April, Musk made news by submitting a bid to acquire Twitter. The company accepted the billionaire’s offer of $54.20 per share in cash on April 25, valuing the firm at approximately $44 billion.
Later Musk announced that his acquisition of the social media platform “cannot move forward” until there is more clarity on the website’s spam bots.
Some have speculated in recent days that Musk may be attempting to negotiate a lower price, and his criticisms about Twitter’s fake account disclosure may be part of his strategy to achieve this objective.