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Fortune
Fortune
Amanda Gerut

Elon Musk claims Tesla demonstrators are being paid by government ‘waste and fraud’ he is fighting with DOGE—they just won’t admit it

Elon Musk, chief executive officer of Tesla Inc., during a cabinet meeting at the White House in Washington, DC, US, on Monday, March 24, 2025. (Credit: Samuel Corum/Sipa/Bloomberg via Getty Images)
  • Without providing any evidence, Tesla CEO Elon Musk alleged the protests plaguing Tesla showrooms in the U.S. and Europe are due to the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) eliminating financial fraud and not, as protestors have stated, due to his unelected high-profile role in government. He also claimed the protestors are getting paid for demonstrating against the electric vehicle maker, a point he has speculated on in the past.   

Tesla CEO Elon Musk attempted to point the finger at protestors who have demonstrated en masse in front of vehicle showrooms in the U.S. and Europe, claiming without evidence that they have been activated because they are the recipients of government waste and fraud. Musk told analysts during the company’s first quarter earnings call on Tuesday that the demonstrators would never admit the real reason they’re protesting is because they get paid through government programs that have been victim to DOGE’s cuts, but that was the real rationale underlying their actions.

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