Tesla’s fourth-quarter earnings report lands just over a week after President Donald Trump began his second term in the White House, with Elon Musk right by his side.

Federal employees on Tuesday, Jan. 28, received an email offering them eight months of severance pay if they quit their jobs. The White House

It’s hard to fault a CEO who grows a company beyond $1 trillion in value. Elon Musk managed the feat by upending the automotive market with Tesla’s electric vehicles and extended its lead with broader battery power.

After Trump’s presidential victory in November 2024, Tesla stock surged as Musk’s status as head of the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) helped generate positive momentum. But since Trump’s inauguration on January 20, shares have been trending downward, even as the company nears a key earnings report.

“Right now, he’s bulletproof,” a Republican operative said of Musk, the 53-year-old billionaire businessman who is leading Trump’s Department of Government Efficiency. Several Republican insiders and conservative activists, who requested anonymity to discuss both Musk and the president, offered similar views.