A Democratic senator is seemingly so fed up with Elon Musk and his actions as the unofficial leader of the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) that he is dumping his Telsa and getting a new ride.

Sen. Mark Kelly, D-AZ, posted a video Friday on X, the social media platform Musk owns, explaining how when he bought his Tesla he didn’t think it would become a “political issue.”

“Every time I get in this car, in the last 60 days or so, it reminds me of just how much damage Elon Musk and Donald Trump is doing to our country,” Kelly said in the roughly minute-long video.

The 61-year-old senator and retired astronaut also commented on Musk and President Donald Trump‘s efforts to reduce federal spending by “slashing Social Security,” “firing veterans” and “cutting health care benefits for poor people and seniors.” He added: “It’s one bad thing after the next.”

While standing in front of his Tesla, Kelly said in the clip that he “thinks it’s time for an upgrade” and that he is “doing the right thing” by “getting rid of” his electric vehicle.

The caption of the X post reads: “I bought a Tesla because it was fast like a rocket ship. But now every time I drive it, I feel like a rolling billboard for a man dismantling our government and hurting people. So Tesla, you’re fired! New ride coming soon.”

Have Teslas become a political statement?

Separating Musk from Tesla has been challenging for many as owners of the EV vehicles have reported feeling attacked and harassed online by various social media groups.

The scrutiny has even escalated to multiple dealerships being targeted by anti-Musk vandals, according to local news outlets, including WPLG. Fort Lauderdale police said 34 new Tesla Cybertrucks were damaged while in an area parking lot, and tagged with the message, “(expletive) Elon,” the TV station reported.

Last month, federal agents announced they were investigating vandalism at a Tesla dealership in Loveland, Colorado. Someone smashed windows, painted Cybertruck windshields with large red X’s and tried to ignite a fire. Local media also reported that someone painted “Nazi Cars” at the dealership, which said it was the third attack of its kind so far this year.

Ben Kallo, an analyst at financial service firm Baird, told CNBC’s “Squawk on the Street” on Monday that recent reports of vandalism could hurt demand for Tesla vehicles.

“When people’s cars are in jeopardy of being keyed or set on fire out there, even people who support Musk or are indifferent Musk, might think twice about buying a Tesla,” Kallo said, per CNBC.

Liberals, who have advocated for driving EV vehicles like Tesla sedans for decades, have turned their backs on Musk’s company of late. Statistics further prove this as Cybertruck registrations have surged in predominantly conservative-voting states like Texas and Florida, according to data compiled by S&P Global Mobility.

Trump stands by Musk amid Tesla stock decline

Trump, while standing next to Musk and five Tesla vehicles on the White House’s South Lawn on Tuesday, said he could consider labeling anyone committing violence against Tesla owners and dealerships “domestic terrorists.”

“I’ll do it. I’m going to stop them … because they’re harming a great American company,” Trump said. “When you hurt an American company, especially a company like this that supplies so many jobs that others are unable to do.”

House DOGE Subcommittee Chairwoman Marjorie Taylor Greene, R-Ga., announced on Wednesday that she and her committee colleagues sent a letter to U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi and FBI Director Kash Patel asking for an investigation into the “organized” attacks against Musk, Tesla and the DOGE effort.

Since December, Tesla stock has dropped by 50%. The struggling EV market, a global decline in sales, and branding issues stemming from Musk’s newfound political influence, may be the culprits behind the steep decline, JPMorgan analysts said, according to Business Insider.

“We struggle to think of anything analogous in the history of the automotive industry, in which a brand has lost so much value so quickly,” JPMorgan analysts stated, adding that the closest example was when Japanese and Korean car brands lost sales during “diplomatic disputes” with China in 2012 and 2017.

Around 3 p.m. on Friday, Tesla’s stock was up about $10 and valued at around $250 per share, according to NASDAQ.

Contributing: Trevor Hughes & Swapna Venugopal Ramaswamy/ USA TODAY