The fancifully named Department of Government Efficiency is grounded in a fundamental misapprehension of how the federal government works. The recklessness and destruction is not a bug but a feature.

Mashable notes that as of Tuesday morning Trump has offered up no evidence that he followed through with his pledge to buy a Tesla vehicle. As for Musk, he's spent the day personally thanking his fans, such as conspiracy theorist Alex Jones, for voicing their support for Tesla on his social media platform X.

This suggests that a reaction from consumers who dislike Mr Musk’s antics are only one reason for falling sales. An updated Model Y, Tesla’s best-selling vehicle, has just gone on sale. In preparation Tesla ran down inventory of the old model, crimping supply. Customers doubtless held off purchases until the new car was available.