Tesla Retail Bears Re-Emerge After Trump Pushes 100% ‘Make-In-America’ Auto Mandate

Retail investor sentiment around Tesla Inc. turned bearish over the weekend after U.S. President Donald Trump said automakers, including Tesla, must manufacture entire vehicles and all parts within the U.S.

Tesla shares closed at $346.46 on Friday, down 3.34% for the day. They slightly declined after hours to $345.52.

At a press conference on Friday marking Tesla CEO Elon Musk’s final day as a White House adviser, Trump said: “He’s going to end up building his whole car here. Pretty much he does. All of the manufacturers will build their parts here too.”

According to a Reuters report, Trump said the practice of building parts in multiple countries was “bothering” and would no longer be acceptable. 

“Over the next year, they’ve got to have the whole thing built in America. That’s what we want,” he said.

The Trump administration established a 25% tariff on imported vehicles and automotive parts earlier this year. 

Tesla produces electric vehicles domestically within the U.S., but it depends on imported components such as batteries and essential electronic parts.

On Stocktwits, retail sentiment was ‘bearish,’ versus ‘neutral’ a week ago, amid ‘high’ message volume.

One user said Tesla's 30-minute chart shows a series of bearish flags, suggesting the stock could drop toward $300 by the end of the week unless it breaks above $350. 

The user noted several bearish catalysts this week, making $300 a possible target. 

Another user warned that Tesla’s stock could tumble more sharply than expected, citing concerns about leveraged positions that could trigger a domino effect of liquidations.

The stock has declined 8.7% in 2025, underperforming the S&P 500’s 0.7% gain.

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