Elon Musk has handed out an unexpected five word clap-back in response to the ‘shocking’ level of hate and vandalism towards Tesla vehicles.
The Tesla boss had something to say about the recent attacks on vehicles and dealerships, which he remarked had reached levels he’d never seen before.
Musk has been at the center of controversy in recent months as he’s become close friends with President Donald Trump.
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Taking on the role as head of the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), Musk has been hacking away at federal spending in a bid to eventually save trillions of dollars from the budget.
So far, the billionaire has been scraping back money by canceling contracts and making mass layoffs, which have proven to be controversial.
In protest, members of the public have taken to boycotting Musk’s EV company, with some even vandalising Tesla cars and showrooms.
Now, the tech mogul has spoken out against the acts during an interview with Fox News on Tuesday (March 18).
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Musk said: “It’s really come as quite a shock to me that there is this level of, really, hatred and violence from the left.”
He added: “I always thought that the left, you know, Democrats were supposed to be the party of empathy, the party of caring, and yet they’re burning down cars, they’re firebombing dealerships, they’re firing bullets into dealerships, they’re smashing up Teslas.
“Tesla is a peaceful company, we’ve never done anything harmful.”
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Musk went on to suggest that there is a wider conspiracy against him, adding: “I mean, who’s funding and who’s coordinating it? Because this is crazy. I’ve never seen anything like this.”
The SpaceX CEO continued: “And they basically want to kill me because I’m stopping their fraud and they want to hurt Tesla because we're stopping the terrible waste and corruption in the government. I’ve never done anything harmful.”
Anger has grown around Musk’s involvement with the government after he became an unelected advisor to the president in January.
The White House has stated that Musk has no decision-making authority but government officials have been locked out of their offices by DOGE employees.
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There has also been confusion over employment status for a lot of workers after multiple mass layoffs were reversed.
Trump has also commented on the vandalism, calling the attacks on Tesla dealerships ‘domestic terrorism’.
He said: “They’re bad guys. They’re the same guys who screw around with our schools and universities. We’re gonna catch you, and you’re gonna go through hell.”