Your. Ultimate authority for daily Elon Musk news. Exploring the world's biggest ideas with your host Will Walden. There's something new every day. Elon Musk skewed with Donald Trump and his abrupt exit from federal government role has not slowed down the protest campaign aimed directly at his influence.
A Protesters linked to the Tesla takedown movement returned to Tesla showrooms across the country this weekend, continuing their pressure campaign despite Musk's withdrawal from the Department of Government efficiency in his fallout with Trump over a massive tax and spending proposal. But a central question that keeps fueling this campaign remains clear. Will direct action against Elon Musk's influence affect Tesla's future and public trust and
billionaire backed policy now? Musk left DOGE days before calling Trump's tax and domestic agenda a disgusting abomination. Now, despite having donated $288,000,000 to Trump's 2024 campaign, that is now. That reversal triggered a public confrontation with Trump threatening to cancel government contracts with SpaceX, Tesla, and other Musk companies. Now, Musk escalated the feud by claiming that Trump wouldn't
have won without him. This fight spilled into the streets, where protesters continued targeting Musk's economic and political entanglements. On Saturday, organizers scheduled 60 separate demonstrations under the Tesla takedown banner. The campaign, launched in February during Musk's tenure at DOGE, urges Tesla owners to sell their vehicles and shareholders
to liquidate their stakes. Demonstrations happened in cities from Florida to Kentucky to Georgia, each one demanding public accountability and rejection of what organizers call Musk's grip on policy and technology. Now, a protest outside of Tesla showroom in Washington, DC's Georgetown neighborhood drew about 30 participants despite rain and competition from Pride Month events.
Organizers attributed the lower turn out to weather, noting that the previous weekend's event in Rockville, MD, brought in about 200 people. They insisted the message still matters even when numbers fluctuate. Protesters claim Musk's departure from DOGE changes nothing above his overall influence. Melissa Nutsen said that Musk going home with his tail between his legs doesn't alter their goal. She repeated the Group SCORE message.
People should sell their Teslas, divest their stock in protest until Musk no longer holds any public power. Now, they claim that opposing Musk is necessary to protect democratic systems in public well-being. Tesla's financial performance added momentum to this campaign, and the company reported a 13% drop in vehicle deliveries in Q1, which is the worst in its history. Tesla stock fell 14% this week and remains 47% below with
December high. Now, these protesters have said that seeing the stock fall boosted the morale at the Israelis, reinforcing their belief that this kind of public pressure is effective against Elon. Now, Musk attributed the drop in sales to weak consumer confidence in a macroeconomic factors, but industry data shows that other EV makers increased deliveries during the same
period. That contradiction strengthened the resolve among demonstrators who blame Elon Musk's leadership and behavior for Tesla struggles. Organizers used Musk's departure from Doe's to launch another protest push on social media. They announced that June 28th, which is Elon Musk's birthday, they'll mark another day of protests. They called the upcoming date a recommitment and encourage people to rally even harder.
They reiterated that the movement is against the consolidation of political and economic power in the hands of just a few billionaires. Protesters also urged large investment funds to drop Tesla shares. Some cited a May letter from institutional investors to Tesla's board that criticized management decisions and corporate governance. Now these public and private efforts from A2 pronged strategy, internal pressure and internal financial disruption. Now that's to reduce Elon Musk's
overall influence. Longtime protesters say they see no reason to back down. Jean Faris, who's attended her fifth Tesla protest, believes Musk's influence remains strong even without Doge. James Deckard said the gatherings create a sense of motivation and community among critics who want to resist what they see as Musk's control over public priorities. Some see the Musk Trump conflict as irrelevant to the broader protest school.
Donna Powell, who has participated in up to 60 anti Trump rallies, described Musk and Trump as quote, billionaire brats having a tiff quote. She dismissed the idea that Trump supporters would shift their stance to join the protests against Musk, suggesting the president's base remains unmoved. Now, her husband, Don Powell, argued that the rivalry between Trump and Musk won't last. They predicted that both men will eventually reconcile
because their interests align. Protesters on the ground believe that the underlying structures keeping people like Musk in positions of power have not changed, even as political alliances will shift. Some people think that the rift between Elon Musk and President Donald Trump is simply a distraction from something that's going on deeper in the government. Is there something that they're hiding? We don't really know, but that's
what some protesters believe. Maybe there's something going on with DOGE that we shouldn't know about now. Musk has not responded to inquiries about the protests or his exit from DOGE from this podcast. Neither has Tesla nor early Tesla takedown organizers now. That silence has not stopped the movement, though. Organizers say they are already planning the next round of demonstrations and encourage supporters to take more aggressive action before the next corporate earnings report.
Will you be there at the protests? Let me know what you think. If your podcast platform has comments, I want to hear it. Let's have a discussion about this. Want to know what you think about Elon Musk and if you have soured on the idea of Elon Musk, That's a great conversation to have. I know a lot of people have in my circle, and some people, they're completely behind the guy. So let me know what you think in the comments on whatever podcast
platform you're on right now. Now the Tesla takedown protests continue despite leadership changes and political infighting because organizers believe that Musk's influence still poses a huge direct threat to democratic policy and also market integrity. What will happen at the next Musk protest on his birthday? Will it be peaceful? Will there be Tesla showrooms caught on fire again? Just gonna have to wait and find out.
June 28th, Musk's birthday. Also on your podcast platform right now, I want you to take a second and hit the subscribe or follow button. And also, if you have a like button, that'd be great. And also, if you've been listening for a long time and you haven't given us a review, I'd really appreciate it if you reviewed the podcast, give us a good review. You know, if you like the show, give us a good review. I'd really appreciate it.
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