Tesla facilities have been targeted with arson, bomb threats, and vandalism at charging stations.
Nationwide, a series of aggressive protests have sprung up against Tesla locations due to Elon Musk’s highly debated involvement with the Trump Administration. Protesters aim to financially cripple the company and remove Musk from his governmental role.
This Saturday, March 29th, the movement against Musk anticipates its largest gathering yet. Tesla Takedown, a decentralized organization, has announced peaceful demonstrations at over 500 locations globally. Organizers state that this is a stand against the CEO’s ties to right-wing politics. Musk, who heads the newly created Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), lost favor with many customers after he endorsed Trump in the previous presidential election and spent over $250 million supporting Trump’s campaign. He also reportedly used his social media platform, X, to garner support.
Since January, Musk’s public image has become more polarizing, marked by significant federal workforce reductions, proposals to privatize popular government services, and a gesture at Trump’s inauguration rally that many interpreted as a Nazi salute. His strong connections to the Trump Administration are also seen by many as a blatant conflict of interest, considering his companies have reportedly .
While Tesla Takedown insists its movement is nonviolent, critics have recently attempted to link the group to acts of vandalism and arson targeting Tesla showrooms, vehicles, and charging stations. Incidents include Molotov cocktail attacks in Salem, Oregon, and Cybertrucks defaced with Nazi comparisons in Brooklyn. Federal authorities have made arrests, with both Trump and U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi labeling the destruction of Tesla property as “domestic terrorism” and warning of potential 20-year prison sentences for those involved.
“You didn’t have that on Jan. 6, I can tell you,” Trump stated last week, implying the Tesla attacks were more destructive than the deadly January 6, 2021, riot at the U.S. Capitol. During the riot, hundreds of his supporters stormed the building to overturn the election, resulting in broken windows, vandalized walls, and ransacked offices. “Nobody was killed on January 6, but what’s happening to Elon Musk and Tesla is a disgrace.”
Since December, Tesla’s stock has its value. Trump has depicted Musk as a patriot under attack and publicly purchased a Tesla Model S on the White House South Lawn earlier this month. “I think [Musk has] been treated very unfairly by a very small group of people. And I just want people to know that he can’t be penalized for being a patriot,” Trump said regarding Musk’s role in his Administration. The President promised that protesters who had attacked Tesla dealerships and charging stations were “going to go through hell.”
“I look forward to watching the sick terrorist thugs get 20-year jail sentences for what they are doing to Elon Musk and Tesla,” Trump wrote on Truth Social, even suggesting that convicted vandals should serve their time in , which has already become a black hole for accused Venezuelan gang members deported from United States with no judicial hearing.
Despite increased pressure from the Trump Administration, protesters are proceeding with their planned “biggest day of action” at all 277 Tesla showrooms on March 29. “Elon Musk is destroying our democracy, and he’s using the fortune he built at Tesla to do it. We are taking action at Tesla to stop Musk’s illegal coup,” Tesla Takedown states on its website, adding that “we oppose violence, vandalism and destruction of property.”
Once seen as a symbol of innovation, Musk’s Tesla is now considered a sign of division. Some dissatisfied owners have responded to Tesla Takedown’s calls to sell their vehicles, including , a Democrat. Others have affixed anti-Musk bumper stickers to their Teslas in protest, while some conservative figures, like Fox News host , have announced their recent Tesla purchases.
Some analysts suggest that Tesla’s board may eventually need to distance itself from Musk if the negative publicity continues to negatively impact the company’s financial performance. A released this month revealed that more voters (51%) held a negative view of Musk than a positive one (39%), highlighting the deep polarization of public opinion surrounding the CEO due to his involvement with Trump.
Democrats have capitalized on the backlash against Musk to rally their supporters. Rep. Jasmine Crockett of Texas stated at a virtual rally held for the Tesla Takedown movement that she hoped to see Musk “taken down” on her birthday, March 29, the date of the planned protests. She clarified during the rally that her calls for action were nonviolent. Attorney General Bondi responded by warning Crockett to “tread very carefully.”
As tensions rise, some protesters report facing personal threats and harassment. Joan Donovan, a Tesla Takedown organizer, said in a that she is being “viciously threatened and doxed” for participating in the public demonstrations, claiming that Musk’s supporters have created “a private army of networked harassers” who have labeled her a “domestic terrorist” for protesting Tesla. In Florida last Saturday, a man was arrested after toward a group of anti-Musk protesters outside a Tesla dealership in West Palm Beach. No one was injured.
The FBI has to be vigilant for potential attacks on Tesla properties leading up to the day of action, including watching for individuals surveilling or attempting to break into dealerships, or making threats against the company online.
“Tesla just makes electric cars and has done nothing to deserve these evil attacks,” Musk on X in response to the violent acts aimed at Tesla facilities.
