Elon Musk protests continue
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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's feud with Donald Trump and his abrupt exit from federal government role has not slowed down the protest campaign aimed directly at his influence.

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 and his fallout with Trump over a massive tax and spending proposal. The central question that keeps fueling this campaign remains clear. Will direct action against Elon Musk's influence affect Tesla's future in 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 million to Trump's 2024 campaign, that is, 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 a rejection of what organizers call Musk's grip on policy and technology.

Now, a protest outside a Tesla showroom in Washington, D.C.'s Georgetown neighborhood drew about 30 participants despite rain in competition from Pride Month events. Organizers attributed the lower turnout to weather, noting that the previous weekend's event in Rockville, Maryland 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 Knudsen said that Musk going home with his tail between his legs doesn't alter their goal. She repeated the group's core message. People should sell their Teslas, divest their stock, and protest until Musk no longer holds any public power.

Now they claim that opposing Musk is necessary to protect democratic systems and 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 its December high.

Now, these protesters have said that seeing the stock fall boosted the morale at these rallies, reinforcing their belief that this kind of public pressure is effective against Elon. Musk attributed the drop in sales to weak consumer confidence and 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's struggles. Organizers used Musk's departure from Doge to launch another protest push. On social media, they announced that June 28th, which is Elon Musk's birthday, will mark another day of protests. They called the upcoming date a "recommitment" and encouraged 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. These public and private efforts from a two-pronged strategy, internal pressure and internal financial disruption. That's to reduce Elon Musk's overall influence. Longtime protesters say they see no reason to back down.

Jean Ferris, 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 goal.

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 and

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. At Capella University, you can learn at your own pace with our FlexPath learning format.

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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 a Tesla showrooms caught on fire again? Just 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 subscriber follow button. And also if you have a like button, that'd be great.

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