Since its founding in 2003, Tesla has been the premiere electric vehicle company in the United States. Raking in nearly $100 billion USD in 2024, the company has been a cash cow for its CEO, entrepreneur-turned-politician (foreshadowing) Elon Musk. According to Forbes’ “World’s Billionaires List” from 2024, Musk’s net worth is a staggering $195 billion USD, making him the richest single person in the world.
Musk hasn’t just stayed in business, however. Continuing the age-old tradition of the affluent meddling in politics, Musk has taken to the Trump administration and is now spearheading the new Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), which aims to “[modernize] federal technology and software to maximize governmental efficiency and productivity” (their official mission statement). Musk has been an avid supporter of Donald Trump, showing up at multiple of his pep rallies and expressing his adoration for the returning president. While this alone would be enough to upset the many liberal and Democratic students at Monte Vista, Musk has also expressed sentiment for another infamous world leader: Adolf Hitler.
The connection between Musk and Hitler began when a right-wing user posted on social media site X (owned by Musk) a popular conspiracy theory that “hordes of minorities,” including Jewish people, are driving white people out of communities. While this normally wouldn’t get much attention, Musk brought it to the public eye when he retweeted it with the caption “You have said the actual truth,” appearing to support the xenophobic post. The controversy died down for a while until, at a pep rally for president Trump, Musk appeared to throw up a Nazi salute (straight outstretched arm with the palm down). However, Musk and other news sites denied the claims, saying the gesture was simply an awkward hand sign thrown in a moment of triumph.
Again, the conflict settled, until Musk threw his hat into the ring for a third time and shared a post on X saying that famous dictators Joseph Stalin, Mao Zedong, and (again) Hitler weren’t responsible for the millions of deaths under their rule, instead placing the blame on public sector workers (it’s important to note that these public sector workers were acting under orders of the dictators to murder people, not on their own accord for the most part).
Musk’s actions have distanced himself from many high school students. As said by one sophomore, “[Musk is] everything that’s wrong with America today…he turned Twitter (X) into a hub of Nazism and uses Nazi symbolism.”
The sophomore said, against what he wants, he did previously support Musk in his endeavors.
“I used to support him because my mom was like, ‘Oh, he’s a genius. You should work to be like him.’ Obviously, we don’t really believe that anymore considering the things he’s done and said.”
He also commented on his reasoning for Musk’s actions. “[Musk] is clearly a very insecure man who can’t handle being attacked, so he feels the need to attack other people who aren’t like him. He can’t handle the fact that there are different types of people in this world because he thinks that makes him somewhat less.”
This third post was the final nail in Musk’s coffin for many Tesla owners who, in an attempt to distance themselves from Musk as much as possible, have started placing anti-Elon stickers on their cars.
Some students at Monte Vista have participated in this movement, such as senior Erin Yang, who placed stickers on her bumper to dispel any idea that her Tesla supports Musk.
“I think [about] driving a Tesla currently; I don’t feel too weird about it because we’re not currently supporting him…and obviously I bought the [anti-Musk] magnet because I was like ‘I need people to know that this is not my standing on the current political climate.’”
Students that don’t have the bumper sticker on their car are even being harassed for it including sophomore Cooper Pollack.
“When my sister went downtown the other day, my dad dropped her off in the Tesla and she got booed by the protesters outside the Tesla store… I feel like having a Tesla just draws too much attention to yourself. Except you’re in California, so half the cars are Teslas.”
Pollack doesn’t support Musk at all, but still likes Tesla. When asked if buying a Tesla was a show of support for Musk, Pollack was unsure.
“To some extent, it is [support]. You can buy it for the car, but that money’s still going to Musk and making him more rich than he already is. If you want him to stop, then you have to boycott his cars entirely.”
Yang had a more reasonable way to own a Tesla without giving money to Musk.
“There are a lot of other electric vehicle options on the market that you could get, unless of course you were looking to buy a used Tesla. Then that makes sense.”
In years previous, Musk had been a beacon of genius and perseverance to many people, liberals and conservatives alike. However, his recent fall from grace into intense right-wing and xenophobic ideals have and will continue to incite lots of controversy in years to come.
