The #TeslaTakedown Shows How We Can Make #Oligarchs Feel the Pain

The “#Tesla #Takedown” #protests reveal a major vulnerability of the #TrumpRegime.

Sunjeev Bery
April 13 2025, 6:00 a.m.

"On April 5, vast crowds of people took to the streets across America to oppose the policies of the Trump regime. The nationwide Hands Off protests felt like a collective decision to stop doomscrolling and start coming together against our country’s lurch toward authoritarianism. The next step is to turn the crowds, speeches, and witty signs into a powerful force with a clear and systematic plan for breaking Trump’s dark vision for our future.

"While Trump possesses the formal authority of the federal government, history is full of examples in which an angry public can bring all of that crashing down by moving from passive acceptance to active opposition. At present, the path to that decisive future may seem hard to discern. But there are already networks of resistance that have shown early signs of success, and the 'Tesla Takedown' movement stands at the top of that list.

"By protesting Tesla dealerships across the U.S., the grassroots campaign has ripped a hole in the wealth of Trump’s most supportive oligarch: Elon Musk. In doing so, the movement has demonstrated that America’s financial and corporate elites are far more vulnerable than they would have us believe. Tesla Takedown organizers have described a powerful surge of activism that combines deep opposition to both Musk and Trump with a sense of community and even joy. 'There’s this bond of being with people who share your love of democracy, decency, and the rule of law,' said retired Colby College history professor Elizabeth Leonard, who organizes Tesla Takedown protests in #WatervilleME.

"Thanks to the Tesla Takedown movement and the broad anti-Musk revulsion that activists have channeled, Musk’s political and commercial fortunes appear to be in decline. He is still the world’s wealthiest man, but he has lost his air of invincibility and increasingly looks like a stumbling buffoon. His political intervention in the Wisconsin Supreme Court race backfired spectacularly, with a state that previously voted for Trump in 2024 by a 1 percent margin electing the Democratic Supreme Court candidate by a whopping 10 percentage points. Tesla stock has dropped some 40 percent since the start of the year, erasing $135 billion in Musk’s wealth. And following Musk’s toxic interventions in U.S. politics, Trump has reportedly said that Musk will be stepping back from his public White House role.

"Through its victories, the Tesla Takedown community has revealed a major vulnerability of the Trump regime. Many of the oligarchic elites who back Trump’s agenda get their wealth from the very public whose broad interests Trump is now attacking. Tesla, #Amazon, #Meta, and other companies depend on the American populace for their profits, even as their owners have lent their support to Trump’s unpopular right-wing agenda, which is squeezing the material wealth and rights of the American people. When activists connect these dots through compelling campaigns, they can hold Trump’s oligarchic enablers directly accountable by draining their wealth.
Tesla itself is now in a downward slide that could mark the early stages of an death spiral — or at least a significant reassessment by investors who have treated Tesla as something far bigger than simply a car company. Sales continue to decline across the U.S. and Europe, with 2025 first quarter numbers showing a 13 percent drop. Meanwhile, major Chinese electric vehicle competitor BYD reported a 60 percent increase in sales during the same period.
In response to the anti-Tesla backlash, Musk embarked on a dubious right-wing outreach strategy that will only further alienate his original climate-conscious customer base. First, he had Trump turn the White House into a Tesla dealership. Then came the public support of #RightWing voices, including #MAGA supporters, #WhiteSupremacist #Proud Boys, and militia groups. It seems '#Swasticar' is no longer just a meme.

"The success of the Tesla Takedown movement opens the door to the question of what comes next. Can the movement take on more of Musk’s wealth — including #SpaceX? Can protesters leverage their momentum to go after a wider range of targets, including the other oligarchs who have backed Trump? Will the anti-Musk community translate its ability to capture headlines into direct pressure on the political system itself? By broadening the attack on Musk’s interests and targeting more Trump-supporting oligarchs, the Tesla Takedown movement can help bring an end to Trump’s authoritarian policies."

cc: @teslatakedown

Read more:
https://theintercept.com/2025/04/13/elon-musk-tesla-takedown-protests/

Archived version:
https://archive.ph/ezYM9