Podcast Summary: The Political Scene | The New Yorker

Episode Title: How Tesla Dealerships Became the Epicenter of the Trump Resistance
Date: April 2, 2025
Host: Tyler Foggatt (Senior Editor, The New Yorker)
Guest: Sarah Larson (Staff Writer, The New Yorker)

Overview

This episode explores why Tesla dealerships have become ground zero for anti-Trump and anti-Musk protest activity during Trump’s second term. Host Tyler Foggatt speaks with Sarah Larson, who has been reporting on the surge of protests targeting Tesla and their symbolic significance in the current political climate. The discussion delves into the motivations, effectiveness, and broader implications of focusing resistance on Elon Musk and his companies.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

The Scene at Tesla Dealership Protests

• Atmosphere & Dynamics

  • Protests were widespread (over 200 across the U.S.), marked by “anger, solidarity” yet relatively peaceful ([02:00]).
  • Demonstrations featured emotional chants, creative signs, and costumes—some mocking Musk and referencing fascist imagery.
  • Interactions between protesters and police were mostly calm, sometimes surreal or humorous ([02:00]).
  • Memorable moment: A protester dressed in a bikini and filming herself antagonizing a police officer by repeatedly calling him "Quaker Oats." Another thanked the officer, suggesting an eclectic mix of participants ([02:00]).

• Main Goals

  • Protesters aimed to pressure people into selling Tesla stock, discontinuing Tesla purchases, and raising awareness about Musk's controversial actions ([03:14]).

Why Tesla?

• Tangible Target

  • Tesla was selected as the main protest site because dealerships are omnipresent and Teslas are owned by many Americans, making the connection to Musk highly visible ([05:00]).
  • SpaceX launch sites are too rare to serve the same symbolic or logistical purpose ([05:00]).

• Irony & Satire

  • Protesters engage in ironic actions, like placing non-Tesla logos or political stickers on their cars to distance their identity from the company ([06:06]).
  • Musk’s transition from admired innovator to divisive political actor is seen as “weird on a million levels” ([05:19]).

Who Is Protesting and Why?

• Diverse Participation

  • Protesters included lawyers, ex-government workers, professors, recent grads, and those directly affected by policy changes ([06:54]).
  • Many cited worries about the Doge agency’s deep cuts to government programs, especially Medicare and Medicaid.

• Personal Stories

  • Quote: “I was really moved almost to tears by everyone who told me why they were there and what they were doing.” — Sarah Larson ([06:54]).
  • Activists shared deeply personal stakes, such as losing jobs or fearing for relatives’ health benefits ([06:54]).

Symbolism and Activist Tactics

• ACT UP's Role
  • AIDS activist group ACT UP organized a "die-in" with tombstone signs listing causes of death linked to threatened policies (AIDS, hurricanes without warnings, abortion-related deaths) ([09:06]).
  • Quote: "There was a Silence = Death sign that had a Tesla symbol instead of an equals sign." — Sarah Larson ([09:06]).

The Approach to Protest: Peaceful vs. Provocative

• Nonviolence Prevails

  • While some banners and art provocatively suggested damaging Teslas, the protests themselves were overwhelmingly peaceful. Acts of vandalism were rare and discouraged ([12:35]).
  • Media coverage, especially on Fox but also on mainstream news, amplified images of violence even when it was absent or exceptional ([13:26]).

• Comparative International Protests

  • U.S. protests are more peaceful than actions like the attempted storming of a Tesla plant in Berlin, Germany ([13:26]).

Impact & Effectiveness

• Hitting Tesla’s Bottom Line
  • Demonstrators see value in materially harming Musk by affecting Tesla’s stock, which is already "plummeting" ([14:17]).
  • Musk's antagonistic social media responses are noted, including him dismissing protesters as “losers who didn’t have jobs,” despite many having lost government jobs due to Doge ([14:33]).
  • Ironic advertising: Paid ads for articles about Tesla’s tanking stock appear beneath Musk's dismissive tweets ([15:06]).

Protest as Emotional Outlet & Community Builder

• Psychological Importance
  • Despite ongoing political discouragement, Larson found hope and encouragement in the energy of people she met ([06:54]).
  • Quote: “It gives people hope and connects people to one another... while the next steps are figured out, this is a perfectly fine way to vent frustration and make feelings known.” — Sarah Larson ([16:45]).

Is Musk the Right Focus?

• Musk as Avatar of Left-Wing Anger

  • Many signs and chants treat Musk as a proxy for everything angering the left, from trans rights to abortion access ([16:07]).
  • There's some debate about whether focusing on Musk (rather than Trump) is an effective or wise strategy ([16:29]).

• Role of Intersectionality

  • Issues like Medicare, disability, LGBTQ+ rights, and reproductive health are interwoven in protest messaging, whether or not Musk directly impacts all of them ([16:32]).

Trump Resistance: A Shift in Focus

• Contrast to Trump Administration 1.0

  • The resistance is quieter compared to the explosive start of Trump’s first term, but the Tesla protests represent a new, more visible wave ([19:25]).
  • Musk provides a “fresh target, a new villain and a worthy one,” offering activists a more tangible focus than Trump himself ([20:03]).

• Why Musk?

  • Musk's public persona is more thin-skinned, and, unlike Trump, seems visibly rattled by activism, making him an attractive target ([21:12]).
  • Quote: “Musk... it hurts his feelings when you insult Tesla, yet he doesn’t mind waving his chainsaw around... if you say anything bad about Tesla, he calls you a creep and a jerk.” — Sarah Larson ([20:03]).

Trump & Musk: Intertwined, Yet Distinct

• Interconnectivity of Protest

  • Many feel protesting Musk is de facto protesting Trump given the current administration's reliance on Musk ([22:22]).
  • “It’s certainly a unified bunch of problems… It just seems like protesting Elon right now might be more effective and make more of an impact.” — Sarah Larson ([22:22]).

• Fragility of the Alliance

  • The hosts speculate about the durability of the Trump–Musk relationship; their dependence is “possibly like soulmates or something" ([23:38]).
  • If Trump were to ditch Musk, what would protest energy redirect toward? Larson speculates this would be "a net good," but the situation remains fluid ([25:00]).

Can Protests Hurt a Billionaire?

• Tactics & Limitations
  • The symbolic and practical difficulty of “causing pain” to a billionaire is acknowledged; affecting Tesla’s reputation and stock is perhaps the best available lever ([25:18]).
  • Musk is compared to officials like Rick Perry, thrown into roles they don’t fully understand, risking the disruption of complex government functions ([25:36]).

The "Sell Your Tesla?" Question

• On Ownership & Complicity
  • Should progressives divest? There’s ambivalence and empathy for those who bought Teslas “for the right reasons” ([27:10]).
  • “We’ve had signs for quite a while that Elon Musk is an objectionable character, but obviously a lot of people who bought Teslas just wanted an electric car... I don’t necessarily begrudge them.” — Sarah Larson ([27:10]).

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• “There was a banner that said save democracy, Harm a Tesla or something like that... But that didn’t seem to be the MO of this [protest].”
  — Sarah Larson ([12:35])

• "Protests are a first step and the left is kind of reeling and just trying to get their feet under them and figure out what to do next."
  — Sarah Larson ([16:45])

• "It’s certainly a unified bunch of problems. But it just seems like protesting Elon right now might be more effective and make more of an impact."
  — Sarah Larson ([22:22])

• "I don’t know who's even buying Teslas now. Who are those people? ... We're all doing the best we can, I hope."
  — Sarah Larson ([27:10])

Key Timestamps

• [02:00] – Scenes and anecdotes from the Tesla dealership protests.
• [05:00] – Reasons for targeting Tesla rather than Musk's other companies.
• [06:54] – Personal accounts from protesters; diversity of the movement and its inspiring effect.
• [09:06] – ACT UP’s symbolic die-in and the stakes of policy attacks.
• [12:35] – Nonviolent ethic vs. rare acts of vandalism; DOJ and media framing.
• [14:17] – Impact on Tesla stock; Musk’s response to protesters.
• [16:45] – Discussing protest effectiveness, community, and emotional relief.
• [20:03] – Why Musk is an especially galvanizing target in this moment.
• [22:22] – Relationship between protesting Musk vs. Trump.
• [25:36] – Comparison to Rick Perry and risks of inexpert disruption.
• [27:10] – Should liberals divest from Tesla?

Conclusion

The episode provides an insightful, on-the-ground look at how and why Tesla dealerships have become a focal point for those resisting the Trump-Musk political axis. Through vivid reporting and sharp discussion, it highlights the creativity, frustration, and hope animating this new strand of political activism, while posing broader questions about strategy, efficacy, and the personal stakes involved.