California Gov. Gavin Newsom escalated his criticism of Elon Musk in a new interview released Wednesday, calling the Tesla CEO "one of the great disappointments" of this era and arguing the United States is losing ground to China in the global race for electric vehicle dominance.
Speaking on "The Axios Show," Newsom said of Musk, "It breaks my heart," after once praising him as this generation's Thomas Edison, and accused the billionaire entrepreneur of helping surrender the EV market by pivoting Tesla toward robotics.
Newsom added, "I think this is [President Donald] Trump, not just Elon Musk," blaming the Trump administration for what Axios described as the "systematic dismantling" of federal EV incentives and mandates, including the end of key federal clean vehicle tax credits for those acquired after Sept. 30, 2025.
He also called the retreat from EV policy "the greatest [own] goal" of the next decade, warning the country risks losing not only market share, but also supply chains, national security advantages and the future of American auto manufacturing.
The comments come at a moment of intensifying competition with China, which the International Energy Agency said accounted for more than 70% of global electric car production in 2024 and remained the world's manufacturing hub for EVs.
"They have 70% of the global EV market. It's about statecraft with them; it's about supply chains. They're flooding the zone all around the globe, including now right on the border into Canada," Newsom said.
"It's a stack play, it's a national security play, and I really fear what's going to happen to American legacy automobile manufacturers," he added.
"Elon was the one accelerating that. Now he's put the brakes on his own innovation in that space, and now shifted to robotics, humanoids," Newsom continued.
Tesla, meanwhile, describes its mission as accelerating the world's transition to sustainable energy, but the company has increasingly highlighted AI, robotaxis and humanoid robotics in its public materials and investor messaging.
Newsom used the interview to underscore California's role in Musk's rise, arguing the state's rules and incentives helped create the conditions for him to become a "multibillionaire, maybe trillionaire," while also saying Musk still benefits from California research and development tax credits even as he is "turning his back" on the state.
California has tried to position itself as a counterweight to the federal rollback, with Newsom proposing a $200 million zero-emission vehicle incentive program in his January budget after the loss of the federal tax credit, while his administration continues to cast the state as the nation's clean-car leader.
The interview also offered a glimpse of how Newsom is framing the broader tech landscape as he raises his national profile during a book tour and amid persistent speculation about his White House ambitions.
Asked about other Silicon Valley figures, Newsom praised OpenAI CEO Sam Altman as an innovator who can "look at a mountain" and "see right through it," while calling Peter Thiel a "next-level" intellect who has become increasingly "nihilistic."
"He shouldn't be put purely in a political box, as I know my party often puts him into," Newsom said of Thiel, adding, "He belongs in many different boxes."
Theodore Bunker ✉
Theodore Bunker, a Newsmax writer, has more than a decade covering news, media, and politics.
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