Protests were planned at multiple Tesla dealerships across Southern California this weekend, voicing opposition to Elon Musk’s deepening involvement in the Trump administration.
Musk, acting on directives from President Trump, has spearheaded efforts to slash federal spending and drastically reduce the government workforce. Citing Trump’s victory as a mandate to reshape the federal system, Musk and the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) have swiftly moved to access sensitive databases, implement thousands of federal job cuts, cancel contracts, and shut down entire sections of the government, including the U.S. Agency for International Development.
The political turmoil has coincided with a sharp decline in Tesla’s stock, which has dropped by nearly a third since Trump took office. Despite this downturn, Tesla’s valuation remains significantly higher than it was a year ago. Meanwhile, Musk’s personal fortune has soared, with Forbes estimating his 2024 net worth at $359 billion—nearly double the $195 billion reported earlier in the year.
As tensions rise over Musk’s growing influence in government and economic policy, Saturday’s planned protests signal mounting public pushback against his vision for the country’s future.
“When you have an out-of-control billionaire running roughshod over our country, one of the most effective ways to halt him in his tracks is to reduce one of his most prized sources of revenue, Tesla,” said Tammy Silver, co-organizer of the Pasadena protest.
“We don’t have to sit idly by while he destroys programs that so many Californians rely on every day. This is a movement to hold him accountable by hitting him where it hurts – in his billion-dollar bank account.”
