MSP ditches Tesla in protest over Elon Musk's association with 'fascist right'
A senior MSP has sold his Tesla in protest over owner Elon Musk’s association with the far right. Scottish Lib Dem leader Alex Cole-Hamilton said he ditched his electric car after becoming incensed by Musk’s "daily outrages".
Billionaire Musk, who also owns X, provided staunch support to Donald Trump in the presidential contest and was rewarded with a job cutting government jobs.
He has also commented on UK politics by attacking the Labour Government and backing far right Tommy Robinson, a convicted criminal.
In an Instagram post, the MSP wrote: “Sold my Tesla today after 5 years of ownership. With Musk’s daily outrages, his butchery of respectful public discourse and his association with the fascist right, I could drive it no longer. I will never own another.”
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Cole-Hamilton campaigned for Democratic candidate Kamala Harris in Pennsylvania last year.
He said of Trump at the time: “The stakes are really high. Look at the rhetoric around Ukraine and Russian aggression. Donald Trump is clearly a friend of Putin and will not have the backbone or resolve to supply the fighting men and women with the material they need to win the war. And if that happens, what does that mean for NATO? This is a global crossroads. It feels like the least I can do.”
Asked about potential criticism that he will be interfering in another country’s election, he said: “It’s not my first rodeo. I was there in 2008 helping Obama. I am not breaking any rules. I am using some of my free time during Holyrood recess. I am going to indulge my favourite hobby, which is going out and speaking to people about what matters to them."
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