Democratic Presidential Hopeful Newsom: "Musk, Who Abandoned Interest in EVs, Is Most Disappointing"

Newsom Delivers Sharp Criticism of Musk
"Once the Thomas Edison of Our Era... Now the Most Disappointing"
"Surrendered Electric Vehicle Market Share to China After Losing Interest"

Gavin Newsom, Governor of California and a leading contender for the Democratic presidential nomination in the United States, has launched a series of criticisms against Elon Musk, CEO of Tesla.

Governor Gavin Newsom of California. Photo by Reuters Yonhap News

According to Yonhap News, on the 24th (local time), Governor Newsom said in an interview with the U.S. media outlet Axios that Musk is "one of the most disappointing people of our time." He acknowledged that Musk was once "the Thomas Edison of our era," but pointed out that Musk has since shifted his focus away from the electric vehicle industry to humanoids and robotics.

As a result of Musk's change in priorities, Newsom argued that China has been able to dominate the electric vehicle market, now controlling 70% of the global electric vehicle sector. Governor Newsom stated, "Ceding the electric vehicle market to China is going to be the worst own goal for the next decade," adding, "This is a national security issue, and I fear for what will happen to America's traditional automakers." He further remarked, "This is not just Musk's problem, but also President Donald Trump's problem," referring to the federal government's termination of electric vehicle tax incentives.

Governor Newsom also said that Tesla’s growth was made possible thanks to California’s electric vehicle-friendly policies. "Musk accumulated his wealth as a beneficiary of California government policies," he stated, adding, "The reason Musk became a billionaire—perhaps even a hundred-billionaire—was because California’s regulations created an environment where that was possible." According to the U.S. financial media outlet Forbes, Musk’s net worth is 839 billion dollars (approximately 1,230 trillion won), making him the wealthiest individual in the world.

U.S. President Donald Trump. Photo by AP Yonhap News

Governor Newsom, who is mentioned as a promising figure in the Democratic Party’s presidential race, is also at odds with President Trump. On the 16th, during a signing ceremony at the White House, President Trump suddenly stated, "Governor Newsom has admitted to having a learning disability," and added, "I support people with learning disabilities, but not for president. Someone with a learning disability should not be president." He continued, "I know these remarks will be controversial, but U.S. President Gavin Newsom admitted he has dyslexia. Everything about him is stupid," making comments that amounted to a personal attack.

In reality, Governor Newsom is known to have dyslexia. Responding to President Trump’s remarks, he emphasized, "Dyslexia is not a weakness but a strength," and said, "People with learning disabilities must stand up against bullying." He also joked about President Trump mistakenly referring to him as 'U.S. President Gavin Newsom,' saying, "Thankfully, Gavin Newsom has officially become the President of the United States," and added, "All of Trump’s executive orders are now null and void, and a formal corruption investigation into him will begin."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.