'Unplug Mad King': Protesters Rally Against Elon Musk at Tesla Facilities
Source: Newsweek
Published Feb 15, 2025 at 4:55 PM EST | Updated Feb 15, 2025 at 5:04 PM EST
Demonstrations have erupted at several Tesla facilities across the country on Saturday as protesters rally against the company's CEO, Elon Musk, and his position in the White House. Newsweek has reached out to Musk via Tesla's email for comment on Saturday afternoon.
Why It Matters
The Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) is a nongovernmental task force led by Musk, President Donald Trump's billionaire ally. DOGE is working to cut wasteful federal spending and has most recently drawn sharp scrutiny for seeking unfettered access to the internal data of agencies across the government, including the Labor Department, U.S. Treasury, Office of Personnel Management, General Services Administration, Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, the Small Business Administration and more.
Musk has been working as a "special government employee," a White House official told the Associated Press and does not receive a paycheck. However, given his reported influence, opponents of the new administration have criticized the influence Musk, an unelected official, has over the government and have accused him of mounting a "hostile takeover" of the government, a claim which he denies.
What To Know
Since Trump's 2024 presidential campaign, Musk has been an ever-growing presence in U.S. politics, joining rallies, speaking out on social media, joining Trump in the White House and now heading DOGE. However, since DOGE's recent efforts regarding access to sensitive data, Democratic leaders and everyday citizens have sounded alarms over Musk. On Saturday, videos posted to X, formerly Twitter, which Musk owns, showed protesters at Tesla facilities in New York City, Washington, D.C., Minneapolis and Austin as protesters voiced their concerns over Musk's recent efforts in the White House. Some of the signs that protesters held read: "Unplug Mad King Musk;" "Stop the coup;" "Musk is the fraud;" and "Deport Musk."
Read more: https://www.newsweek.com/unplug-mad-king-protesters-rally-against-elon-musk-tesla-facilities-2031825