Tesla’s “King of Cope” Sparks a Selloff… And He Might Still Be Missing the Point

At some point, even the most loyal hype man runs out of excuses. I mean, being a Conor McGregor fan or a Dallas Cowboys diehard is basically a full-time job in denial (lots of big talk and a yearly reminder that maybe it's time to log off and touch some grass). And for Tesla, that “enough is enough” moment just arrived… delivered by none other than Dan Ives, Wall Street’s longtime Musk whisperer, who finally snapped and told Elon what Elon’s been barking at his own employees for years: “Get back in the damn office” (Tesla Headquarters in Austin, to be exact).

Remember, this is the same Dan Ives who once said Tesla was the most undervalued AI stock in the market (and probably had a poster of the Cybertruck over his bed) is now completely flip flopping his allegiance. In his words, Tesla is in a “code red situation” unless Elon stops playing federal hall monitor and starts acting like the CEO of a car company again.

And it’s hard to argue with him. Tesla stock is down 41% year-to-date, wiping out tens of billions in market cap. Meanwhile, the EV market is still growing (up 29% last quarter) yet Tesla’s own deliveries fell 13%, marking its worst performance in three years. While competitors are building momentum and racking up pre-orders, Tesla’s sitting still, watching demand shrink in some of its most important regions.

At the same time, Elon’s out in DC running the Department of Government Efficiency cutting federal spending like he's filming a season of Parks and Rec with Ron Swanson. Sure, he's technically in charge of Tesla, but lately, his idea of "leadership" looks more like retweeting memes about federal waste while the stock crashes through the floor.

Investors have started asking real questions too,,, like whether their CEO plans to run a car company or just cosplay as a budget hawk until 2029. Retail shareholders are literally submitting questions to the next earnings call like it’s a Reddit AMA gone off the rails. One even asked whether Musk’s political actions are damaging the brand.

Tesla, once the face of American innovation, is now getting dinged by tariffs (thanks Trump) and getting spray-painted by protestors in Europe. Its U.S. market share is down 9 percentage points. In China, another 4. And in Europe, where they used to dream about dropping Model 3s… it’s down another 9.

Dan Ives tried to hold the line, bless his heart (as they say in the south). But even he finally dropped his price target to $315 from $550. In his defense, he says he’s still bullish long-term… but that only works if Musk actually shows up to his day job.

And here’s where I’ll add my two cents: I don’t think Tesla’s crashing just because Musk is working in DOGE. That’s part of it, sure. But really? It’s the fatigue. Investors are tired of the “next big thing” getting pushed down the road while the fundamentals keep slipping. The missed timelines, the vague announcements, the endless promises… it’s starting to feel like a loop. People want results. They want execution. They want to believe again… but only if Elon gives them a reason to.

Ives summed it up well when he said, “We are now at a major crossroads for the Tesla story.” And he’s right.

If Musk ends his political career, refocuses, and delivers on what Tesla’s been promising for years, there’s still a path forward. The tech, the innovation, the vision… it’s all there. But if he keeps playing budget watchdog in D.C. while Tesla keeps losing market share? Even Dan Ives might throw in the towel. And if he stops clapping, well… forget about the music stopping. It’s the whole damn encore being canceled.

PS: The headlines are full of panic… inflation’s too high, the Fed’s asleep at the wheel, and Trump never fails to kill any market momentum with more tariffs. On the surface, it looks like the market’s barely breathing.

But underneath all that noise?

We’re seeing some of the fastest stock moves in years… especially in the small-cap space, where low float and high tension can trigger a 100% pop before lunch. Some are up 200% in under 24 hours… and nobody on CNBC is talking about them.

Except us.

Stocks.News Premium members are getting early alerts on these stealth explosions… thanks to our squeeze signal scanner and a real-time insider trading tracker that zeroes in on the money before the momentum hits.

If what you’re doing right now isn’t working… this is your chance to flip the script.

With Premium, you’ll get two trade alerts per week, access to the same tools we use to track CEO buys and Capitol Hill trades, our market sentiment tool… oh and did I mention you’ll get access to premium stock writeup articles?

Go here to become a Stocks.News premium member now.

Stock.News has positions in Tesla.