Tesla cars, dealerships, and charging stations have been defaced and burned in response to Elon Musk’s support for President Donald J. Trump and his work in the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE). Authorities state that Musk’s work in DOGE has contributed to mass layoffs of federal workers. While no injuries have been reported due to this new “revolt” as of now, experts on domestic extremism are uncertain of what the future holds regarding these attacks.
While protests in the inception of Trump’s first term as president occurred primarily in his houses, meeting places, and in cities he previously called home, protestors have instead decided to scapegoat Tesla as Trump begins his second term. Tesla’s stock has dropped tremendously and is marked as “an easy target” for these attacks, according to sociologist Randy Blazak. Some Tesla owners have vowed to sell their cars, having spray-painted “NO MUSK,” on their vehicles and on local dealerships. Authorities first classified these actions as antisemitism before realizing that they were direct protests against the owner of Tesla.
A statement made by President Trump on Truth Social reveals his loyalty to Musk as well as his willingness to buy, “A brand new Tesla tomorrow morning as a show of confidence and support for Elon Musk.” However, Trump’s support of Musk has only encouraged those against the latter to voice their hatred more. Colorado residents and protestors have been spotted calling Tesla cars “Nazi cars” and throwing Molotov cocktails onto the vehicles. Lucy Grace Nelson, 40, is one of these protestors, and was arrested recently in Colorado for possessing explosives at a local dealership. In South Carolina, federal agents arrested a man accused of setting fire to Tesla charging stations near Charleston. In the Portland suburb of Tigard, “More than a dozen,” shots were fired at a Tesla dealership according to the public information officer at the Tigard Police Department. Musk spoke out on X regarding this revolution, condemning its violence. However, these protests continue to occur, leaving experts rapidly scrambling for solutions.
