'Astroturf': Critics speculate Tesla protests are not a grassroots movement, but carefully organized campaign
Protests unfolded outside of Tesla showrooms across the country this weekend over Elon Musk's role helping lead President Donald Trump's Department of Government Efficiency, sparking questions to fly as to who is funding the purported "grassroots" demonstrations.
"Who is funding and organizing all these paid protests?" Musk posted to X early Sunday morning, accompanied by a video clip of podcast host Joe Rogan discussing left-wing protests in recent days.
A "Tesla Takedown" movement formed in recent days, with more than 200 protests planned on Saturday in the U.S., and another few hundred planned protests in Canada and Europe as part of the "global day of action." In the U.S. the protests slated for Saturday were promoted by actors, filmmakers, congressional legislators, academics and activists who led a "mass mobilizing call" last week to rally support, and described in the media as a "grassroots" effort to buck Musk and Trump, while working to tank Tesla's stock.
Tesla locations have faced violence in recent weeks as Musk and his DOGE team investigate federal agencies in search of government overspending, fraud and mismanagement, while critics accuse the Trump administration of creating an "oligarchy" by tapping the billionaire to help streamline federal government operations.
DOGE is a temporary cross-departmental organization that was established to slim down and streamline the federal government. The group will be dissolved on July 4, 2026.
The protests on Saturday were billed as "nonviolent" and showcased people line dancing outside Teslas stores while holding anti-swastika and anti-Musk signs. Others protested for a couple of hours outside of Tesla dealerships, local media outlets reported, with some holding signs reading "DON'T BUY SWASTICAR," or "Nobody elected Elon."
The U.S. protests on Saturday stretched from New York to Maryland to Texas to California. Many of the rallies saw dozens of protesters, while larger protests, such as one in Chicago, drew crowds of over 100 people, and another in New York drew hundreds of protesters, various media reports show.
"Tesla Takedown is a peaceful protest movement. We oppose violence, vandalism and destruction of property. This protest is a lawful exercise of our First Amendment right to peaceful assembly," the Action Network, a left-wing advocacy group, described the nationwide protests online.
"Rally attenders must be peaceful and nonviolent," another left-wing group, Indivisible, described a protest in New Jersey, which included directions on what to chant at passersby. "No vandalism of Tesla cars or stores; or insults of Tesla drivers permitted! When Tesla drivers pass we will chant, 'Sell your Tesla, Trade it in! instead of booing. STAY OFF THE ROADWAY! It is legal for protesters to be on the sidewalk but NOT to be on the roadway or block entrances to businesses, including Tesla. STAY OFF TESLA PROPERTY! We are not allowed on any private property. Indivisible policy forbids engaging with counter protesters (and other protestors) this is for the safety of all people."
A local news outlet, media personalities and conservative critics have speculated that the recent anti-Tesla protests are embroiled in "astroturfing," which is defined by Merriam-Webster as a campaign "falsely made to appear grassroots."
"I know when something is AstroTurf. Fun fact: I was among the first reporters (if not first) to put the concept of 'Astro Turf' lobbying into the pages of the Wall Street Journal as an international trade reporter," former Wall Street Journal correspondent Asra Nomani posted to X after reporting on a Tesla protest last Saturday in Tysons, Virginia, outside of Washington, D.C.
"While local #TeslaTakedown protests may appear spontaneous and community-driven, they are the product of well-funded, tightly coordinated campaigns led by national political organizations like the Indivisible Project, http://MoveOn.org, and professional protest firms," Nomani continued.
Nomani authored a piece in the Fairfax Times titled, "Local #TeslaTakedown reveals 'grassroots' protests are AstroTurf."
"These groups use digital platforms, pre-scripted chants, pre-printed signs, and nationwide toolkits to manufacture the appearance of grassroots activism, and the messages on Tyco Road mirror the language of protests nationwide. This kind of organizing is known as 'AstroTurfing' – a term used to describe top-down efforts that mimic authentic, bottom-up civic engagement," she continued on X.
Podcast host Joe Rogan, in a clip shared by Musk, speculated that protesters in past days were receiving money to take part in the anti-Tesla protests.
"For a lot of losers, a lot of people who don't have things going well in their life, and I was a loser at many points in my life, is somebody called me up and said, 'Hey man, want to make 400 bucks an just go to this Kamala Harris rally?' I'm like, 'Yeah, let's go,'" "Joe Rogan Experience" released on Saturday.
"They were giving out $1,000 bucks for people to protest, I think it was Tesla. They had like the rules of engagement if someone comes after you… are you organizing gangs? Are you guys paying money for people and then literally saying to them, 'Here's what happens if you engage in violence?' Why is that even on the table? I thought this was peaceful protesting," he continued, noting he has not seen any reports of pro-Tesla individuals waging violence.
Other X users took to social media to speculate and accuse the Tesla protests of being an example of astroturfing.
"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," popular conservative X account Amuse posted to X.
"NEW: Tesla protesters stop protesting at the Southlake Texas Tesla store the moment clock read 12 PM, according to @Carlos__Turcios. 'They all immediately left the minute it was 12:00 pm.' Odd," Trending Politics co-owner Colin Rugg posted to X.
Reports that some protesters packed their bags at exactly noon in Texas sparked further accusations of "astroturfing," including one user who responded to Rugg saying, "Paid astroturf. This entire op is fake. Follow the money."
Seattle radio host Jason Rantz shared a photo on X showing a Tesla protester holding a sheet of scripted chants to reportedly deliver during a demonstration, which Musk called "interesting" in a response X post.
Fox News Digital reached out to Indivisible, the Action Network and MoveOn.org regarding the astroturf speculation on Sunday morning, but did not immediately receive comment.
The protests on Saturday were overwhelmingly peaceful. Department of Justice chief Pam Bondi previously vowed earlier this month that violent protesters who attack and cause damage at Tesla showrooms and other properties will face the full force of the law.
"The days of committing crimes without consequence have ended," Bondi said. "Let this be a warning: if you join this wave of domestic terrorism against Tesla properties, the Department of Justice will put you behind bars."
A Las Vegas man was arrested earlier this month for his alleged involvement in a Molotov cocktail attack on a Tesla property. The suspect in that case faces a bevy of felony charges, including three counts of arson, three counts of possession of an explosive device, five counts of shooting into a car and four counts of destroying personal property, according to local police.
Musk remarked on X on Saturday that it 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."
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Yahoo
28 minutes ago
- Yahoo
Maxwell: DeSantis orders Orlando Sentinel to stop investigating his scandal. That's not happening.
Late last week, Gov. Ron DeSantis' administration publicly threatened the Orlando Sentinel reporter who has been investigating the Hope Florida scandal. Welcome to the 'Free State of Florida,' where the governor feels free to live out authoritarian fever dreams surrounded by staff who are apparently unwilling to tell Mao ZeRon that emporers can't control journalism in this country. Just after noon on Friday, Florida's Department of Children and Families issued what it labeled a 'cease and desist' demand that Sentinel reporter Jeff Schweers stop his reporting efforts after saying it had 'heard' that Jeff might be 'threatening or coercing' foster families in Florida. There was no proof. No specifics. The letter wasn't even signed by anyone — maybe because no reputable attorney would put their name on a document that looked like it was written by a Twitter bot trying to cosplay as a lawyer. It was just an anonymous, undocumented claim that someone had heard something about harassment, which the governor then tweeted along with the comment: 'Bottom feeders gonna bottom feed…' The governor's tweet — which included Jeff's email address — prompted the kind of online reaction DeSantis surely expected. One of the governor's followers called for Jeff to be arrested. Others responded to the governor's name-calling with more name-calling, either opting for antisemitism or just blanket statements like: 'Journos are some the worst people alive. Scum of the earth.' By this point, you might be wondering: So what did Jeff do? Well, for months now, he's been trying to track down how the DeSantis administration has been spending money — some of it public, some of it private donations that are supposed to be carefully accounted for the IRS. That apparently scared the hell out of the governor and his staff. Specifically, Jeff was trying to find out what happened to public money given to the beleaguered Hope Florida program championed by Ron and Casey DeSantis. And Jeff isn't the only one. Legislative Republicans have flat-out said they believe crimes were committed. A prosecutor is looking at the issue as well. But apparently Jeff was getting too close to the truth for comfort. So the DeSantis administration bogusly claimed he was 'threatening' foster families and ordered him to stop his reporting. Well, that ain't gonna happen. As the Sentinel's executive editor, Roger Simmons said: 'We stand by our stories and reject the state's attempt to chill free speech and encroach on our First Amendment right to report on an important issue.' Editorial: Intimidation won't make the Sentinel back down on Hope Florida story Reporting, after all, is what newspapers do. We search for answers. And Jeff has been doing it for years. In fact, before he started working for the Sentinel a few years ago, Jeff worked for the Tallahassee Democrat where he investigated scandalous behavior by Andrew Gillum. Gillum, as you may recall, was the Democratic candidate for governor against … wait for it … Ron DeSantis. And some of Jeff's reporting was so damning to Gillum that the stories generated by Jeff and his colleagues were used by the DeSantis campaign to help DeSantis eke out a 0.4% victory. So to recap: When newspapers investigate a Democrat, everyone should pay attention. But if they investigate DeSantis, it's bottom-feeding that needs to be shut down. The latest scandal involves Hope Florida — the moniker for both a state program and affiliated private charity that the DeSantises have championed. The couple say the programs have been successful at getting struggling citizens off welfare. But GOP legislators (yes, lawmakers from the governor's own party) say they believe public money was inappropriately 'laundered' to political causes and campaigns. For journalists, a common mantra is: Follow the money. But that's been particularly challenging in this story that involves two entities by the same name, money transfers and incomplete financial records. Maxwell: Scandals for Dummies. Breaking down the Hope Florida fiasco It has been my experience that, when financial stories are complicated, that's often intentional. Someone doesn't want you to follow the money. But Jeff and other Florida reporters have kept on digging. And that's what has the DeSantis administration nervous. Last month, Jeff tracked down one of the few, specific people Hope Florida had touted as a success story for being weaned off public assistance only to learn that she appeared 'no better off than she was. She lives with her three youngest daughters in a double-wide mobile home … not working, and she and her children are still on Medicaid … just as they were three years ago.' Financial independence eludes Hope Florida 'graduate' 3 years later This week, Jeff combed through IRS records to learn that a golf-tournament fundraiser staged by the Hope Florida Foundation actually reported losing $17,000 — only to have the foundation's attorney say that the foundation would soon be filing an amended report. How fortuitous for the charity that Jeff was able to help it sort out its finances. Hope Florida Foundation to amend tax return to show golf tourney made more money And those are just the stories Jeff was able to ferret out with access to limited records. He said he's still waiting for the state to provide specific details about how it spent more than $20 million in federal relief funds — a request he filed back in October 2024 If Hope Florida looks like a three-alarm dumpster fire right now, one wonders how many alarms would go off if journalists and the public ever get to see the full financial picture. To that end, when the governor of America's third-largest state took to Twitter to try to debase and bully, Jeff responded with a pretty simple, nine-word question: 'Why not respond to my numerous public records requests?' The answer to that is becoming increasingly obvious. Because the more the facts get out, the worse things look for DeSantis. So the state's top elected official is trying to use all the influence he can to stop journalists from even asking questions. smaxwell@
Forbes
29 minutes ago
- Forbes
The Wiretap: Facial Recognition, Amazon Ring, And Surveillance Of The LA Protests
The Wiretap is your weekly digest of cybersecurity, internet privacy and surveillance news. To get it in your inbox, subscribe here. The protests in LA are being captured by all manner of surveillance devices. But federal and local police have different restrictions on what they can do with the footage (Photo by) 'I have all of you on camera. I'm going to come to your house.' Those were the words coming from an LAPD officer in a helicopter over LA protestors, according to the LA Times. The implicit threat, according to some privacy advocates, was that the cops would use facial recognition software to identify and locate those protesting Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) raids. It's not quite so easy to do that, though. A source close to the agency, who was not authorized to talk on record, told Forbes that LAPD will be going through camera footage - whether shot from a helicopter, surveillance cams or bodycams - and try to identify people. However, the LAPD can only search for matches from police-owned arrest records, namely, mugshots. Its own rules don't allow it to search for matches across other sources, such as social media. Federal agents, however, don't have the same restrictions. Any federal agent using Clearview or an alternative can take the same footage and run facial images to find matches across photos scraped from social sites. One of Clearview's best-known federal customers is ICE, which typically uses it in child exploitation cases. It's unclear how often the agency uses it for immigration enforcement. Neither ICE nor the LAPD had responded to requests for comment at the time of publication. Law enforcement has another potential source for protest footage: video from Amazon Ring cameras or its competitors. Though Amazon has stopped cops requesting information directly over the Ring Neighbours social platform, federal and local cops can demand data recorded by those devices with a court order. The video could then be used to identify protestors. While the source close to LAPD said they weren't aware of any specific uses of Ring around this week's events, they said it's certainly a capability that exists. Meanwhile, concerned citizens have also been using Neighbors to share footage of ICE raids and agents in the L.A. area, either to warn about them or to celebrate the actions. In footage from Monday, identified by a Forbes' reporter, a Ring user shared footage they claimed showed ICE targeting laborers at a local Home Depot. Another warned about ICE agents at a mall and a Costco. Amazon Ring didn't comment on record, though a spokesperson pointed Forbes to guidelines that prohibit users posting on 'topics that cause inevitable frictions like politics and election information,' as well as 'highly debated social issues.' Its moderators might be busier than normal this week. Got a tip on surveillance or cybercrime? Get me on Signal at +1 929-512-7964. DOGE pre-Elon Musk's departure and break up with President Trump. (Photo by) The Supreme Court has given a green light to the Department of Government Efficiency to access Social Security Administration data. The decision came after the Trump administration had filed an emergency application to lift an injunction from a federal judge in Maryland. In its decision, the Supreme Court said DOGE staff needed the access to do their job. While the White House cheered the decision as a victory for fighting fraud and waste in federal agencies, opponents said the ruling 'will enable President Trump and DOGE's affiliates to steal Americans' private and personal data.' A cyber researcher found a way to identify phone numbers linked to any Google account. Google has since fixed the issue, which may have exposed users to SIM swapping scams. The DOJ has launched an offensive on the dark web marketplace BidenCash, where users buy and sell stolen credit card and personal information. The agency has taken down 145 domains across both the standard web and the darknet associated with the bazaar. The service has so far generated over $17 million in revenue, according to Justice officials. A man who controls much of the infrastructure that underpins Telegram also controls other companies with links to Russian intelligence agency FSB, according to an investigation by the Organized Crimes and Corruption Reporting Project's Russian partner, Important Stories. Telegram has not responded to the allegations. The Guardian has launched a new way to tip its reporters securely with an app simply called 'Secure Messaging.' It sounds pretty neat: 'The technology behind Secure Messaging conceals the fact that messaging is taking place at all by making the communication indistinguishable from other data sent to and from the app by our millions of regular users. By using the Guardian app, other users are effectively providing 'cover' and helping us to protect sources.' President Trump has been unsurprisingly careless with his personal iPhone, taking calls from numbers he doesn't recognize. That's despite repeatedly being warned about the heightened risks of foreign surveillance and interception that come with using a device with a 'broadly circulated number,' according to a report in The Atlantic.
Yahoo
29 minutes ago
- Yahoo
Dimon says Trump tariffs may make 'the soft landing a little bit softer' instead of making the 'ship go down'
JPMorgan Chase (JPM) CEO Jamie Dimon sounds a little more optimistic about the effect tariffs may have on the US economy over the next several months. 'Maybe in July, August, September, October, you'll start to see 'did it have an effect?'' Dimon said of tariffs while speaking Tuesday afternoon at a Morgan Stanley conference in New York. 'My guess is it did, hopefully not dramatic. May just make the soft landing a little bit softer as opposed to the ship go down." His guess is that the effect of tariffs will cause employment to 'come down, or come down a little bit,' while 'inflation will go up a little bit.' Read more: What Trump's tariffs mean for the economy and your wallet Dimon wasn't the only big bank executive who offered his views Tuesday about how the tariff picture may play out in the near future. Clients of Citigroup's (C) global investment bank are looking at a 10% 'floor' on tariff levels and are currently evaluating a baseline of between 10% and 20%, Viswas Raghavan, Citigroup's head of banking, said while speaking earlier Tuesday at the same conference. 'Look, there is a lot of anxiety,' Raghavan said when referring to the impact of the looming tariffs on corporate boardrooms considering new deals. Citigroup expects its second quarter investment banking fees to be up in the 'mid-single digits' compared to the same period last year. In overall trading, revenue is expected to rise in the 'mid- to high-single digits' from the prior year, according to Raghavan. However, Raghavan did say that Citi expects its firmwide credit costs to rise by 'a few 100 million dollars' compared to the $2.7 billion it reported in the first quarter. Morgan Stanley (MS) CEO Ted Pick said the second quarter did start 'slow, really pausing in a big way,' after the Trump administration's early April 'Liberation Day' tariff announcements. But 'now it has picked up and I think we'll see how the last couple weeks go, but looks like it's going to finish strong.' In this current period, 'I do think investment banking, specifically, is a tale of two quarters.' Bankers also hailed a push by the Trump administration to reconsider some capital rules that require them to set aside certain buffers in the event of bad times. "We actually are relevant in not just powering the real economy, but to be helpful when there is a wobble ... And that's why I think it is opportune for a repositioning of some of the regulatory framework," Pick said Tuesday. Michelle Bowman, Federal Reserve vice chair for supervision, said in a speech last Friday that the central bank plans to host a conference next month meant to bring together bankers, academics, and other experts to examine whether the numerous capital requirements for large banks make sense. "I would like to be part of fixing the system and making it safer and helping the smaller banks," Dimon said. David Hollerith is a senior reporter for Yahoo Finance covering banking, crypto, and other areas in finance. Click here for in-depth analysis of the latest stock market news and events moving stock prices Error in retrieving data Sign in to access your portfolio Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data
