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Scott Galloway says Musk's work at DOGE fueled 'one of the greatest brand destructions' of all time
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- Scott Galloway said Elon Musk's work at DOGE fueled "one of the greatest brand destructions" ever.
- Backlash against Musk largely targeted Tesla, which has reported a drop in profit and sales.
- Musk has said he'd step back from his government role to refocus on Tesla and his other companies.
Scott Galloway, a prominent marketing professor at New York University, says Elon Musk's links to the cost-cutting White House DOGE Office fueled "one of the greatest brand destructions" of all time.
Speaking on an episode of the Pivot podcast, which he cohosts with journalist Kara Swisher, Galloway said Musk's role with the agency had taken a major toll on Tesla.
"Tesla was a great brand," Galloway said.
"The rivers have reversed and the tide has turned entirely against him," he continued, citing a recent Axios Harris poll that showed Tesla had plummeted from eighth place in the ranking of America's 100 most visible companies in 2021 to 95th in 2025.
Galloway attributed Tesla's issues to Musk alienating the company's core customer base with his turn toward politics over the last year.
In the United States, the Tesla CEO spent millions backing Trump's presidential campaign and was almost inseparable from him during the transition. He then became the public face of DOGE, an advisory body tasked with reducing government spending.
While Musk became a hero to many of Trump's supporters, the image of a tech billionaire wielding so much power also sparked a backlash, which mostly targeted Tesla.
Tesla reported a 71% drop in earnings per share year over year during its earnings call in late April and has faced widespread protests at its dealerships and showrooms.
"He is a brilliant guy, but he's alienated his core demographic," Galloway said on Friday. "He's alienated the wrong people. Three-quarters of Republicans would never consider buying an EV. So he's cozied up to the people who aren't interested in EVs."
During Tesla's recent earnings call, Musk said he planned to step back from his work with DOGE and refocus on the companies that made him a household name. He reiterated that on Saturday.
"Back to spending 24/7 at work and sleeping in conference/server/factory rooms," Musk wrote on X after the platform had battled with widespread outages.
"I must be super focused on π/xAI and Tesla (plus Starship launch next week), as we have critical technologies rolling out."
The SpaceX CEO also told an audience at the Qatar Economic Forum on Tuesday that he planned to spend "a lot less" on political campaigns in the future.
"If I see a reason to do political spending in the future, I will do it," Musk clarified. "I do not currently see a reason."
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'SNL' star Kenan Thompson hints at 'a lot of change' to the show following 50th season finale
NBC/Will Heath/NBC via Getty Images
- "SNL" has wrapped its milestone 50th season and is set to return to screens in the fall.
- Kenan Thompson, one of the show's longest-serving cast members, has teased major changes.
- Several fan favorites have been the subject of departure rumors in recent weeks.
"Saturday Night Live" wrapped its milestone 50th season last week, with a scheduled return to screens in the fall.
But while audiences may be eager to see their cast favorites once again spoof the latest happenings in Washington, it appears that there could be a bit of a shake-up coming.
Kenan Thompson, the longest-tenured cast member in the NBC show's history, has hinted that some big changes could take place between now and next season.
Speaking to Page Six on Wednesday, Thompson described the show's recent season finale as "bittersweet."
"Especially this year where it feels like there's maybe, possibly, a lot of change next year," he said.
Thompson did not expand on what those changes may be, but there has been speculation that several popular cast members may be about to leave the show.
"You want everyone to stay forever, knowing that people may be making decisions this summer," he added.
NBC/Will Heath/NBC via Getty Images
Colin Jost, whose wife Scarlett Johansson hosted the season 50 finale episode, cracked several jokes about replacing "Saturday Night Live" boss Lorne Michaels during his latest Weekend Update. Jost began his tenure on the show as part of the writing team in 2005 and became co-anchor of the "Weekend Update" segment in 2014.
It was speculated that Michaels would be departing in the run-up to the show's 50th anniversary celebrations. The 80-year-old, however, who created the sketch comedy show in 1975 has previously addressed the rumors, telling The Hollywood Reporter in 2024 that he had no "immediate" plans to retire.
"Iβ―just know that this is kind of what I do and as long as I can keep doing it, I'll keep doing it," he said.
Elsewhere in the finale, Sarah Sherman, who joined the cast in 2021, was shown looking confused after other cast members sang a line about her leaving in a song performed during Johansson's monologue.
Bowen Yang also has left fans worried he could be saying his farewells following a recent interview with Entertainment Weekly.
"I think you get to a point at SNL where you understand that you're on the downswing of things. I think I was just processing that being one of the last 'last nights' that I would have, and that is a huge thing," he said earlier this week.
NBC/Theo Wargo/NBC via Getty Images
As for Thompson, who joined the cast in 2003, he said he has yet to sign a new contract for the coming season but expressed interest in returning.
"You just never know what the future holds," he told Page Six. "I don't want to be in the way of someone else."
"I don't want to be the stale old man riding the same old thing. That doesn't really happen that much at 'SNL' but there's no guarantees," he added.
Representatives for "SNL" did not immediately respond to a request for comment from Business Insider.