According to a new report from The Wall Street Journal, some members of Tesla’s board recently reached out to top executive search firms to explore options for a possible new CEO. The discussions happened about a month ago, the report said, and were triggered by CEO Elon Musk’s strong ties with the Trump administration.

Just last week, Elon Musk said he plans to cut back the time he spends helping the Trump administration. He added that he would focus more on managing his companies. This statement came after many investors raised concerns about his role at the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), where he has been working to reduce federal jobs.

At the same time, Tesla’s older electric car models are seeing fewer sales. Musk’s support for far-right political views in Europe has also caused protests. Some of Tesla’s showrooms and charging stations in both the U.S. and Europe have been vandalized.

The Wall Street Journal also reported that board members recently met with Musk. During the meeting, they asked him to publicly promise that he would give more time to Tesla.

However, it is still not clear whether Musk, who is also a member of the board, knows about the board’s talks to find a new CEO. It’s also unclear whether his promise to focus more on Tesla has changed their plans.

As of now, neither Elon Musk nor Tesla has responded to Reuters’ request for comments.

 

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