Elon Musk’s foray into politics has backfired on Tesla, polarizing its target audience along partisan lines with Democrats increasingly viewing the brand negatively.

Both companies have battled a tarnished brand image and a discontented customer base, with boycotts hurting their bottom line.

Elon Musk’s Tesla. “Musk is a bigger threat to democracy than Trump is at this point,” said Cousins, a longtime activist who organized an anti-Tesla rally in a deep-red district in Central Florida last weekend,