Multiple Democratic lawmakers have invested in Tesla in recent months despite public criticisms of its CEO, Elon Musk, and his role in the White House leading the Department of Government Efficiency.
Democratic Representatives Josh Gottheimer, Vicente Gonzalez and Gil Cisneros have all purchased Tesla stock since President Donald Trump’s inauguration despite repeatedly criticizing Musk’s involvement in the administration.
New Jersey’s Gottheimer called Musk and the DOGE cuts “just pure chaos” on Sunday. He has bought and sold Tesla stock several times since Trump took office, according to his 2025 periodical financial disclosure filings.
Gottheimer purchased Tesla stock three times between January 28 and March 5, each totaling between $1,001 and $15,000. He partially sold Tesla stock — valued between $1,001 and $15,000 — twice between February 13 and March 5.
Gonzalez, representing Texas, also purchased Tesla stock at least twice in March after calling DOGE “incredibly concerning.” Once purchase was between $15,001 and $50,000, while another was between $50,001 and $100,000.
California’s Cisneros similarly bought Tesla stock valued between $1,001 and $15,000 in late February or early March after repeatedly labeling Musk a “shadow president” and criticizing his role in the administration.
“Shadow President Musk has no security clearance and should not be involved in decisions that affect our national security, period,” Cisneros wrote earlier this month on X.
The Independent has contacted Gottheimer, Gonzalez and Cisneros for comment.
Congressional Democrats have continued to blast Musk and DOGE since Trump took office, calling for an end to the massive cuts to the federal workforce and budget.
Last month, several Democratic lawmakers held a demonstration outside the Treasury Department to protest Musk’s “hostile takeover” of the federal government. Connecticut Representative John Larson also railed against the House DOGE subcommittee’s GOP leadership earlier this month, accusing them of blindly following whatever Trump and Musk ask them to do.
Musk’s DOGE is also under legal scrutiny. A federal judge blocked Musk and DOGE from their “fishing expedition” in search of a “fraud epidemic” based on “little more than suspicion” inside the Social Security Administration in a March 20 temporary restraining order. This comes after government lawyers argued DOGE employees currently have access to Social Security data or “personally identifiable information.”
The anger over Musk and his DOGE cuts has also spread to impacting his car business. Tesla shares have fallen in recent weeks as sales slow, particularly in Europe, where they fell 49 percent in the first two months of 2025 compared to last year.
In the U.S. on Monday, Tesla stock was down another 4 percent in morning trading, sitting at $250.75 a share. On December 17, the stock was valued at $479.86 a share.
There have also been reports of vandalism and arson attacks on Teslas and dealerships in the weeks since the tech mogul began helping the Trump administration. Attacks have been reported around the world, from Las Vegas to Boston to France.
On Monday morning, Italian police announced they’re investigating a possible arson attack after a fire destroyed sixteen Tesla cars at a dealership outside Rome.
Trump and other administration officials have vowed to label attacks on Tesla vehicles and showrooms as domestic terrorism.
Attorney General Pam Bondi announced earlier this month the Justice Department is bringing “severe” charges against three individuals accused of targeting Teslas with arson attacks.
“The days of committing crimes without consequence have ended,” she said in a statement. “Let this be a warning: if you join this wave of domestic terrorism against Tesla properties, the Department of Justice will put you behind bars.”
