What to know about the #TeslaTakedown movement targeting Elon Musk and DOGE
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People participate in a "TeslaTakedown" protest against Elon Musk outside of a Tesla showroom in Seattle, Washington, on Feb. 15. Photo: Jason Redmond/AFP via Getty Images
Elon Musk's Tesla has become a rallying point for protestors outraged with how the world's richest man has insinuated himself into President Trump's administration and led efforts to slash government agencies.
Why it matters: The #TeslaTakedown protests at Tesla locations nationwide are one of the first signs of grassroots backlash to Musk's role in the Trump administration, targeting his flagship company.
- Musk's close involvement with the Trump administration has made some investors queasy as Tesla's stock has tumbled recently.
- Tesla shares are still up about 15% since last July, when Musk endorsed Trump's candidacy and became more visibly active boosting his election.
- But the stock's "Trump bump" has faded sharply since the inauguration — falling 30% in the last month — as Musk's DOGE was unleashed on the government and public sentiment soured.
State of play: The protest movement, also called #TeslaTakeover, urges people to sell their vehicles and get rid of their stock.
- "Hurting Tesla is stopping Musk," its website said. "Stopping Musk will help save lives and our democracy."
- More protests are scheduled all over the country within the next week.
Context: Musk has had a co-captain seat in the first month of President Trump's administration.
- His DOGE team has accessed sensitive databases, purged staffing and overhauled federal agencies.
What they're saying: "Detaching Musk from Tesla would be a meaningful blow against this administration and its prerogatives, because it would be a strike against what they hold most dear: money and power," actor and filmmaker Alex Winter, who got involved in the organizing, wrote in a Rolling Stone piece on Feb. 21.
- Part of the motivation is to undermine Musk's image, which is "the source of his clout," Winter wrote. "And it's another balloon that's ready to rupture."
- The #TeslaTakedown protests hit at time when a series of polls show that Musk and DOGE are widely unpopular in America.
Zoom in: Sociologist Joan Donovan called for a Feb. 15 "#TeslaTakeover" at Tesla dealerships across the world. Since then, at least 100 cities have had protests outside Tesla locations, per Winter.
- Some Telsa owners' cars have been vandalized or they've received criticism for their vehicles, Business Insider reported.
- Other Tesla owners have resorted to bumper stickers to distance themselves from Musk.
- Some sticker versions read "Anti Elon Tesla Club," "F Elon" and "I Bought This Before We Knew Elon Was Crazy."
The other side: At the Conservative Political Action Conference on Feb. 20, Musk dismissed the protests as "fake rallies," per Politico.
Between the lines: The Tesla protests are among other early grassroots campaigns against the Trump administration.
- They're occurring parallel to a Feb. 28 economic blackout, which urges Americans to abstain from shopping with major retailers for government accountability and corporate reform.
Go deeper: Investors question whether Musk's X and DOGE ties are hurting Tesla
