Hundreds of protestors gathered outside of Tesla showrooms on Saturday to showcase their disdain for CEO Elon Musk and his work with the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) in an effort to slash federal spending.
The “Tesla Takedown” movement has launched a series of demonstrations that have taken place in Washington, D.C., Boston and other locations aiming to encourage investors to divest in Tesla stock and charging electric vehicle owners to ditch the brand. Approximately 80 protests took place on Saturday alone, according to CNN.
“Sell your Teslas, dump your stock, join the picket lines. Hurting Tesla is stopping Musk,” a statement on their website reads.
“Stopping Musk will help save lives and our democracy. The stakes couldn’t be higher. No one is coming to save us—not politicians, not the media.”
Sen. Mark Kelly (D-Ariz.) said he was looking for a “new ride” after getting rid of his Tesla, which he argued was “built and designed by an a‑‑hole.”
“Every time I get in this car in the last 60 days or so, it reminds me of just how much Elon Musk and Donald Trump is doing to our country. Talking about slashing Social Security, cutting health care benefits for poor people, for seniors. It’s one bad thing after the next,” Kelly said in a video posted to X.
Musk has supported efforts to close the U.S. Agency for International Development and the regulatory Consumer Financial Protection Bureau in his role as senior adviser to President Trump.
The tech giant is frequently spotted on the South Lawn with the leader and highlighted unique Tesla features next to Trump with three cars parked at the White House on Tuesday, which caused some to question the event’s ethical standing.
“I mean, nobody else has a car company started up in the last 30 years that’s been successful, I don’t think so,” Trump told reporters.
“But because he’s finding all sorts of terrible things that have taken place against our country, we want to penalize him in an economic sense. And I just think that’s very unfair. So I just wanted to make a statement. I’m going to buy one now.”
The Hill reached out to Tesla for comment.
