Warner Bros. boss David Zaslav is the real ‘Man of Steel’ in shifting media landscape The answer according to these people is yes. Finally, Musk might have to conform to some semblance of what is generally regarded as normal behavior for a CEO running a public company. I know what you’re saying, why is starting a political party worse than everything else Musk has done? And why would a board known for its acquiescences to an imperial CEO finally grow a pair and exert its legal responsibility as fiduciaries for shareholders? Recall Musk’s prior antics were taking place while Tesla’s shares were exploding in value, beating every metric as the EV car company became a symbol of the future for transportation. Tesla, from an operational standpoint, looked like a well-oiled machine, hitting its production targets and growing profits. Trump and Musk sit in a Tesla at the White House in March. AFP via Getty Images That was before Musk joined the Trump White House and became a political target, dragging Tesla along with him. The radical left vandalized Tesla dealerships, which is a law enforcement matter. The real problem was that Musk alienated Tesla customers, much of them left-leaning environmentalists who ride EVs as a political statement, and profits nosedived. While Musk was spending so much time in the White House, Tesla has been missing delivery targets; it’s placing a big bet on autonomous cars, but that could deprive its staple EV of much needed R&D. The Big Beautiful Bill cuts EV subsidies, which Trump believes is at the heart of their feud, but now that their relationship keeps souring, Tesla could lose other forms of government support. Charlie Gasparino has his finger on the pulse of where business, politics and finance meet Sign up to receive On The Money by Charlie Gasparino in your inbox every Thursday. Thanks for signing up!