Democrat Sen. Mark Kelly gets rid of his electric Tesla Model X, buys gas-powered Chevy Tahoe truck

Sen. Mark Kelly, D-Ariz., traded his electric Tesla Model X for a gasoline-powered Chevy Tahoe, citing his criticism of billionaire Tesla and SpaceX CEO Elon Musk as the reason for the change.

“When I bought this thing, I didn’t think it was going to become a political issue,” Kelly said in a video on his social media accounts on Friday. “Every time I get in this car in the last 60 days or so, it reminds me of just how much damage Elon Musk and Donald Trump is doing to our country.”

While Chevy makes several electric and hybrid vehicles, Kelly decided to get the Chevy Tahoe, which averages about 21 miles per gallon in the city.

“Elon Musk kind of turned out to be an a--hole, and I don’t want to be driving a car built and designed by an a--hole,” Kelly said. “So, looking forward to my new ride.”

Musk had called Kelly a "traitor" earlier this week for visiting Ukraine. Kelly responded to Musk in an X post prior to announcing he was getting rid of his Tesla.

"Elon, if you don’t understand that defending freedom is a basic tenet of what makes America great and keeps us safe, maybe you should leave it to those of us who do," Kelly wrote.

On Sunday, Kelly posted about the Chevy truck.

"New ride is here. Built by union labor here in America thanks to @UAW!" he wrote along with a video. "Always good to buy union cars. Incredibly reliable."

Some social media users responded to Kelly's post about the new vehicle with his past comments about climate change.

"Watching our planet spin through space, there's a moment when it becomes abundantly clear: There is no Planet B," Kelly, a former astronaut, wrote in an Earth Day post in 2021. "We all must do our part to fight climate change and protect our planet. How will you do yours?"