Gavin Newsom bashes Elon Musk as ‘one of the great disappointments'

This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. ©2026 FOX News Network, LLC. All rights reserved. Quotes displayed in real-time or delayed by at least 15 minutes. Market data provided by Factset. Powered and implemented by FactSet Digital Solutions. Legal Statement. Mutual Fund and ETF data provided by LSEG. Gavin Newsom calls Elon Musk a "great disappointment" and warns the U.S. is losing the EV race to China. California Gov. Gavin Newsom declared Elon Musk "one of the great disappointments" of the era and argued the Tesla leader has "put the brakes on his own innovation" in the electric vehicle space during an interview released Friday. "One of the great innovators of our time. He’s the Edison of our time. It breaks my heart," Newsom told Axios. The exchange was part of a broader conversation in which Newsom also addressed the Democratic Party's future and his relationship with former Presidents Barack Obama and Joe Biden and former Vice President Kamala Harris. Nick Shirley's response to Newsom's office mockery went viral, "Start working for the people." (Justin Sullivan/Getty Images/OutKick) NEWSOM TEAM MOCKS 'CONSERVATIVE SNOWFLAKES' AFTER GAY DATIN