Since early February, Tesla has been the target of protesters opposed to CEO Elon Musk’s unprecedented takeover of the federal government. As Musk’s Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) eliminates humanitarian aid programs and fires tens of thousands of government workers, demonstrators are expressing their rage by picketing Tesla showrooms and demanding Tesla owners sell their vehicles.
Others have taken things further, defacing Tesla vehicles with anti-Musk slogans, smashing windows, and even setting some Tesla property on fire. Musk’s allies in the Trump administration are threatening to prosecute anyone caught defacing Tesla vehicles by classifying the acts as “domestic terrorism.“
Meanwhile, Tesla stock is on a rollercoaster, and investors are wondering when they can expect Musk to end his side quest with the government and get back to business making cars and preparing Tesla for a more uncertain future.
Read on below as we keep track of all the chaos that’s embroiling Tesla.
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A report in the New York Post on Monday revealed the existence of a new 10-person FBI task force focused on vandalism and other activity aimed toward Tesla in response to the actions of Elon Musk.
Like Attorney General Pam Bondi’s re-announcement last week of old charges against people accused of targeting Tesla locations for vandalism and arson, today’s announcement didn’t come with specific new details. It did come with more statements calling the acts “domestic terrorism,” a line pushed by Musk, Trump, and others in recent weeks. FBI Director Kash Patel repeated the phrase while sharing the story on X, also saying, “The FBI has been investigating the increase in violent activity toward Tesla, and over the last few days, we have taken additional steps to crack down and coordinate our response.”
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At a surprise all-hands-on meeting Thursday night in Texas, Tesla CEO Elon Musk rallied up his company’s employees as the brand’s public reputation continues to plummet, Business Insider reports. At the livestreamed meeting, Musk told employees to “hang on to your stock” – which declined in value by 50 percent since December – and promised big things are coming for its Cybercab robotaxi and Optimus humanoid robot.
Musk deflected on the stock drop at the meeting and reiterated promises that Tesla’s autonomous software used for its vehicles’ so-called Full Self-Driving feature, robotaxis, and Optimus bots would bring the company’s value to new heights. “It’s so profound and there’s no comparison with anything in the past,” Musk said. He says they can make about 5,000 Optimus robots this year. “I think we will literally build a legion, at least one legion of robots this year and then probably 10 legions next year,” Musk said.
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As reports of vandalism and even a supposed doxing website targeting Tesla locations and vehicles continue to appear, Attorney General Pam Bondi issued a new warning about old crimes. In a Department of Justice press release, she “announced charges against three individuals responsible for the violent destruction of Tesla properties.”
It didn’t mention that all of the arrests and charges listed had already been reported days or weeks ago.
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Today we’re talking about the protests against Tesla, which have been branded on social media under the hashtag Tesla Takedown. The protests are, of course, a reaction to Elon Musk, who has managed to install himself as basically a not-so-shadow president who is tearing the federal government apart, leaving confusion and destruction in his wake.
A lot of people are deeply unhappy with this state of affairs. And because Musk is not an elected official but is, on some level, a car salesman, many of those frustrated and angry people are taking aim at the most visible and accessible symbol of his power and wealth: Tesla itself.
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Briefly, here’s what’s up with Tesla over the past few weeks: its stock is down more than 50 percent since December; Tesla sales in California are plummeting; Cybertruck deliveries are reportedly paused because the vehicles are falling apart; protesters are demonstrating outside Tesla showrooms across the country; and Tesla owners are selling their cars to avoid getting called Nazis.
But that’s not all. According to data from YouGov, a market research firm, the public’s impression of the company has never been worse, reaching its lowest point since YouGov began tracking Tesla in 2016. YouGov asks members of the public daily questions about Tesla to gauge overall sentiment. (Sherwood first reported the data.)
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This weekend, protests escalated at Tesla showrooms across the nation. Hundreds of people gathered to boycott Elon Musk and his involvement in the Trump administration as the head of the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), which is overseeing a massively disruptive effort to fire thousands of federal workers to slash government spending.
Most of these protests are associated with the Tesla Takedown movement that first emerged in February. It encourages supporters to “sell your Teslas, dump your stock, join the picket lines” as part of efforts to “stop Musk.” But momentum has ramped up significantly in the past week, leading to bigger turnouts and some arrests.
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On a recent Saturday afternoon, around 50 sign-wielding protesters stood outside the Tesla showroom in Manhattan’s Meatpacking neighborhood, screaming insults at passing Tesla vehicles.
“Uncool car!”
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Protestors are planning more demonstrations outside Tesla showrooms nationwide this weekend, as Elon Musk’s polarizing behavior and political activities within the Trump administration continue to have negative side effects on his electric car business.
The protests are being advertised on BlueSky under the tags “Tesla Takeover” and “Tesla Takedown,” similar to demonstrations held last weekend. At least three dozen events are listed on Action Network’s website, with a banner urging people who own Tesla vehicles or stock in the company to divest, sell their vehicle, and “join the picket line.”
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Elon Musk’s role in carrying out President Donald Trump’s dirty work has triggered a wave of opposition that is spilling over into protests against his flagship company, Tesla. Over the last week, some people have held demonstrations while others have vandalized Tesla vehicles owned by individual buyers and showrooms — with actions stretching from New York, Colorado, and California, to as far as The Netherlands and Germany.
Musk’s Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) has accessed sensitive government data and cut congressionally mandated funds to agencies. After court orders demanded a halt to some of its actions, Musk and Vice President JD Vance have hinted they may ignore the rulings. Tesla’s hundreds of showrooms, as well as other locations, present a ripe target for venting frustrations about Musk’s political activities.