The Tesla CEO and world's richest man is not very popular in Colorado. A December poll found that more than half of Colorado voters had an unfavorable view of Musk — and that was before he led President Donald Trump's Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) in slashing tens of thousands of federal jobs, impacting thousands of workers in the Centennial State.
As Musk's influence on the U.S. government inspires growing unease (and his political rhetoric becomes increasingly Nazi-adjacent), some Coloradans are lashing out locally.
Incidents at Colorado Tesla Dealerships
A Tesla dealership in Loveland was hit with arson and vandalism attacks five times in five weeks between January and March. The incidents included Molotov cocktails starting fires, rocks thrown at vehicles, and the word "Nazi" spray-painted on the Tesla sign.While similar incidents have been reported across the country, Colorado has landed at the center of the controversy.
U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi is attempting to make an example out of one of the Colorado Tesla attack suspects, announcing on March 31 that she is seeking a twenty-year prison sentence with "no negotiating" for 24-year-old Cooper Jo Frederick of Fort Collins.
"I've made it clear, if you take part in the wave of domestic terrorism against Tesla properties, we will find you, arrest you and put you behind bars," Bondi said in a video message. "You can run but you cannot hide. Justice is coming."
Congresswoman Lauren Boebert introduced a resolution on April 1 condemning the Tesla attacks. She noted the several instances targeting Colorado dealerships, describing them as "violence from Radical Left-Wing domestic terrorists who hate President Donald Trump and Elon Musk."
Despite the pushback from federal officials, Coloradans are continuing to demonstrate against Musk and Tesla.
Since February, protests have been held at a Tesla dealership in Littleton regularly, including one that attracted 150 attendees on March 15 and another that was part of a global day of action on March 29, with demonstrations throughout the U.S. and in some cities in Europe. Anti-Musk signs and chants have been a consistent part of protests at the Colorado State Capitol this year, as well.
More "Tesla Takedown" rallies are scheduled to take place at Tesla locations in Littleton, Loveland and Aurora weekly through April 19.
"Elon Musk has infiltrated our government agencies and fired thousands of workers without cause," protest organizer Lynne Popkowski said in a statement on March 28. "He has threatened to cut services that people rely on for their livelihood and well-being, but his billion-dollar contracts remain intact. He is bypassing Congress to line his own pockets and must be stopped. And hurting Tesla stock will help stop Musk."
Rumor has it Musk is considering leaving his government role soon, as Tesla sales plunge and investors urge him to step down as CEO of the company.
