A study by the National Bureau of Economic Research (NBER) concluded that Musk's "highly controversial and partisan behavior" has directly resulted in Tesla losing between 1 million and 1.26 million vehicle sales in the United States. Tesla's recent sales decline stems from much more than "increased competition" or "satisfaction of pent-up demand." Data shows: Before October 2022, counties with a higher proportion of Democratic voters saw a continued rise in preference for Tesla, more pronounced than in Republican-dominated areas. This aligns with historical patterns—electric vehicle adoption has previously been higher among liberal consumers. After October 2022, the trend reversed dramatically. With Musk's increasing political activity—including "relaxing content moderation for far-right and extremist speech" and large-scale political donations—Democratic-leaning counties began to see a significant decline in Tesla purchases. Original text