There’s just one problem: Musk isn’t actually leaving. His time at DOGE may “drop significantly,” but in the same call he made it clear he intends to continue his political work until (at least) 2029. “I’ll have to continue doing it for, I think, probably the remainder of the president’s term, just to make sure that the waste and fraud that we stop does not come roaring back, which it will do if it has the chance,” he said, adding he still plans to spend “a day or two a week” at the quasi agency.

But even if Musk were to leave DOGE behind completely, the idea that he—and, by extension Tesla or any of his other companies, like Starlink, SpaceX, or X—can ever discard his association with Trump is an absurd fantasy. Musk may spend less time directing the destruction of the government and wrecking thousands of federal workers’ livelihoods, but he has not had a come-to-Jesus moment. The epitome of American oligarchy, he will remain a dominant force in the MAGA-pilled Republican Party and will still have X as his megaphone for far-right extremism.

He will continue to tyrannize us all. Tesla’s stock price shot up on Tuesday because investors bought into a ridiculous fantasy that Tesla can somehow turn back the clock. Many liberals—once the company’s core demographic—have unloaded their vehicles, and many more will never buy one again.

Even apolitical and moderate consumers have turned away, either because of the Musk stigma or a fear of getting vandalized. This brand damage is not going to suddenly heal just because Musk reduced his workdays in Washington. It’s hard to see how the company, which was already struggling amid greater competition domestically and internationally, flourishes again with Musk at the helm—or in any role, even a symbolic one.