It's hard to verify the claims without being privy to the content of council meetings (whose secrecy may be violating the law). However, GM's Mary Barra tells TechCrunch that "environmental issues" did come up as part of the discussion. The question is: are any of these discussions making an impact? A judge's temporary block on the immigration ban may have more of an immediate effect, and there are no signs that the White House will rethink attempts to suppress climate change science and prop up fossil fuels. Musk may put key issues on the table, but he can't guarantee that Trump, Bannon and crew will change their minds.

As it stands, Musk faces the same risk that Uber's chief did: staying on the council may pose a threat to his bottom line. Some Model 3 customers are cancelling their pre-orders in protest of Musk's supposed friendliness to Trump. No matter how much Musk may believe in talking things out, he may have to quit if association with the President costs him both significant revenue and a tarnished brand image. Tesla can't save the planet if people aren't buying, after all.