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Will Tesla’s 2026 models come standard with a 12-inch hood ornament statue of Donald Trump?
Tesla boss Elon Musk's cozy (creepy) relationship with Trump has turned off a number of owners of the electric vehicle.
One guy told the Financial Times that "owning a Tesla feels like I’m wearing a MAGA hat." He’s switching from Tesla’s Model Y to a Lucid Gravity when his lease is up in May.
And then there is the “Anti-Elon Tesla Club.” Bumper stickers and shirts are available on Esty.
Tesla used to be the EV brand that was bought by liberal-leaning customers who wanted to do their part to cut tailpipe emissions.
Musk’s relationship with global warming-denying Trump (Elon seems more like an appendage of the president-elect than an advisor) combined with his bonkers right-wing rantings on X has tarnished Tesla’s image.
An August survey by Edmunds car research firm found that 36 percent of potential EV buyers said they were less likely to buy a Tesla because of its link to Musk.
That poll was taken well before the presidential campaign in which Musk contributed more than $275M to back Trump.
It also predated Trump appointing Musk and fellow henchman Vivek Ramaswamy to co-head the Department of Government Efficiency.
Let’s see how popular Musk will be after DOGE proposes firing half the US government workforce, slashing Social Security/Medicare/Medicaid, closing the Department of Education, and eliminating environmental regulations.
My hunch: a solid majority of respondents to an Edmunds survey conducted a year from now will not consider buying a Tesla.
Tesla stock has been trading like gangbusters, hitting an all-time high of $431 on Dec. 13.
They are bound to tank as investors begin to realize Musk’s efforts to dismantle the US government and its social programs.
Pitching renewable energy… Let’s not write off the prospects of renewable energy as Republicans take control of Washington.
A SKDK Research/HarrisX poll released Dec. 11 shows all is not lost. It found that 57 percent of Trump voters support the US investing more money in renewable energy sources.
The key to success is to pitch that investment as part of Trump’s plan for US energy independence rather than helping to improve the environment.
Cited by 26 percent of Trump voters, energy independence ranked first in their reason to back renewables. Only 17 percent said a cleaner environment was the reason to support renewables.
Doug Thornell, CEO of SKDK, said that though the incoming Trump administration has a very different approach to energy policy from the Biden White House, tailoring a winning message is the way to get results.
Hats off... Congratulations to Rochelle Ford, most recently president of Dillard University, who will succeed Roger Bolton as CEO of the Page Society at yearend.
Ford also served as dean of the School of Communications at Elon University, and chaired the PR department at the S.I. Newhouse School at Syracuse University.
In those posts, she influenced many CCOs—a lot of them are Page members—and PR agency people.
Bolton departs Page after serving it with distinction for the past 13 years.
It’s evident to all that our 80-year-old president is a man stuck in the past but did he really have to invoke the spirit of disgraced FBI director J. Edgar Hoover?... NYC probes prediction markets. Kalshi Polymarket, Coinbase and Gemini Titan... Does anybody want Karoline Leavitt's job? It's no fun playing second fiddle to Trump, who serves as his own press spokesperson.
Kudos to the American Academy of Pediatrics for pulling no punches in blasting Trump's new childhood vaccine recommendations as "dangerous."... Billionaire Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent is tired of hearing about people struggling with the economy... Trump delivers priceless gift to Iran's propaganda machine.
Understatement of the Year: FIFA president Gianni Infantino concedes mistakes were made in his scheme to sell-out the World Cup... Amnesty International and Human Rights Watch charges Israel with deliberately targeting and attacking journalists in Lebanon... It will take images of US soldiers throwing rocks at the People's Liberation Army as it invades Taiwan before Trump admits the munitions shortage.
Donald Trump, who earned more than $2B last year, accuses oil companies of making too much money... Rocket science isn't easy, according to SpaceX chief Elon Musk... The volatile Jeanine Pirro has the edge over smarmy Interior Secretary Doug Burgum in the battle over blame for The Reflecting Pool mess... Omnicom CEO John Wren credits clients for adjusting pretty well to the disruptions caused by the Middle East, Ukraine and tariff chaos. 
FIFA chief Gianni Infantino’s audacious scheme to sell stakes in a new subsidiary that will manage the World Cup is the payoff for his obnoxious pandering to Donald Trump... PwC's "thought leadership" pieces on AI and electric vehicles are riddled with "hallucinations."... 
