Who’s Bankrolling Anti-Tesla Protests? Elon Takes Aim at ‘Astroturf’ Campaigns [WATCH]

Protests took place outside Tesla showrooms across the United States this weekend, sparked by Elon Musk’s involvement in President Donald Trump’s Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE).

These protests raised questions about the true origins of the demonstrations, with many speculating about the involvement of paid organizers.

In a post on X early Sunday morning, Musk shared his thoughts on the protests, questioning, “Who is funding and organizing all these paid protests?”

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His post was accompanied by a video clip of podcast host Joe Rogan discussing the growing trend of left-wing protests.

Who is funding and organizing all these paid protests? https://t.co/QDjD9Gao8a

— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) March 30, 2025

A movement titled “Tesla Takedown” emerged in recent days, calling for over 200 protests across the U.S. on Saturday.

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This movement was not limited to the U.S., with several hundred additional protests planned in Canada and Europe as part of a “global day of action.”

The protests in the U.S. were promoted by a variety of actors, filmmakers, academics, and lawmakers, all rallying in opposition to Musk and Trump, with the aim of damaging Tesla’s reputation and stock value.

Tesla has faced increasing scrutiny in recent weeks, particularly as Musk and his DOGE team investigate potential waste, fraud, and mismanagement within federal agencies.

Critics have accused the Trump administration of turning into an “oligarchy” by enlisting Musk to assist in streamlining government operations.

DOGE is a temporary organization tasked with reducing federal bureaucracy and will dissolve on July 4, 2026.

The protests on Saturday were framed as “nonviolent” demonstrations.

Participants were seen line dancing outside Tesla stores while holding anti-Musk and anti-swastika signs.

In other locations, protesters gathered for several hours, with signs reading “DON’T BUY SWASTICAR” or “Nobody elected Elon.”

The protests spanned from New York to Maryland to Texas and California, with some rallies drawing crowds of over 100 people, while larger events, such as those in Chicago and New York, attracted hundreds of demonstrators.

The Action Network, a left-wing advocacy group, described the nationwide protests as an expression of First Amendment rights.

They clarified that the protests would be nonviolent and discouraged any destruction of property or insults aimed at Tesla drivers.

The Indivisible group, another left-wing organization, echoed these sentiments, providing detailed instructions on how to engage with passersby and emphasizing the importance of maintaining peace.

Despite the assurances of nonviolence, some local media outlets, along with conservative critics, have raised concerns about the protests being “astroturfed.”

This term refers to campaigns that are falsely made to appear as grassroots movements when they are actually the result of coordinated efforts by well-funded organizations.

Asra Nomani, a former Wall Street Journal correspondent, criticized the protests, calling them a prime example of astroturfing.

In a post on X, she explained that the “local #TeslaTakedown protests may appear spontaneous, but they are the product of well-funded, tightly coordinated campaigns.”

Nomani also referenced her reporting on the issue in the Fairfax Times, where she highlighted the use of pre-scripted chants, pre-printed signs, and digital toolkits to create the illusion of organic activism.

WATCH. I went to the Tysons, Va., #TeslaTakedown protest on Tyco Road for @FairfaxTimes last Saturday, locals calling on America to “deport @elonmusk,” and saw familiar faces from local Democratic Party activism.

I documented identical messaging to protests nationwide and then… pic.twitter.com/t0dvMS9RSI

— Asra Nomani (@AsraNomani) March 28, 2025

In a clip shared by Musk, Joe Rogan speculated that many of the protesters might be paid to participate in the demonstrations.

Rogan shared a story from his own life, recalling how he was once offered $400 to attend a political rally.

“They were giving out $1,000 bucks for people to protest, I think it was Tesla,” Rogan said, questioning why protesters were being paid to show up and even given rules of engagement in case of violence.

NEW: Joe Rogan calls out Democrats for paying people to show up to rallies and protest Tesla

“For a lot of losers, a lot of people who don’t have things going well in their life, and I’ve been a loser at many points in my life, if someone offered me $400 bucks to show up… pic.twitter.com/bBv7OMEyTY

— Autism Capital (@AutismCapital) March 29, 2025

Conservative social media users have also weighed in on the situation, with some accusing Democratic lawmakers like Rep. Jasmine Crockett of collaborating with paid protest groups.

ASTROTURF: Rep Jasmine Crockett is working with the Soros-backed paid protest group ‘Indivisible’ to organize canned protests at Tesla stores across the US. Here the Democrat congresswoman is asking for Elon to be ‘taken down’ for her birthday. pic.twitter.com/Irvws0qHRD

— @amuse (@amuse) March 20, 2025

Reports surfaced of protesters leaving their locations in Texas exactly at noon, which only fueled further speculation that the demonstrations were orchestrated from the top down.

Seattle radio host Jason Rantz shared a photo on X showing a protester holding a sheet of pre-written chants, which Musk referred to as “interesting.”

Fox News Digital reached out to the Indivisible group, the Action Network, and MoveOn.org for comment on the allegations of astroturfing, but did not receive an immediate response.

While the protests remained largely peaceful, the Department of Justice, led by Attorney General Pam Bondi, has made it clear that violent actions will not be tolerated.

Earlier this month, Bondi vowed that those involved in violent acts at Tesla showrooms would face legal consequences.

“The days of committing crimes without consequence have ended,” Bondi said.

“If you join this wave of domestic terrorism against Tesla properties, the Department of Justice will put you behind bars.”

The controversy surrounding the protests intensified when a Las Vegas man was arrested for allegedly using a Molotov cocktail to attack a Tesla property.

The man faces multiple felony charges, including arson, possession of an explosive device, and destruction of personal property.

Musk, in his response to the protests, remarked on X that it was “insanely ironic” that the same individuals accusing him of being a Nazi are engaging in violent acts, while he himself has remained nonviolent.

“The people shooting bullets into Tesla stores, burning down cars and generally being violent are calling me a Nazi when I have done literally zero violence at all,” he said.

Sure is insanely ironic that the people shooting bullets into Tesla stores, burning down cars and generally being violent are calling me a Nazi when I have done literally zero violence at all ‍♂️ https://t.co/DWrC7zrLw9

— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) March 30, 2025

As the protests continue to unfold, the debate over their funding and organization shows no sign of slowing down, with Musk and others questioning the true motivations behind the demonstrations.

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