It Could Happen Here - Behind the Tesla Attacks

Starting point is 00:00:00 Prohibition is synonymous with speakeasies, jazz, flappers, and of course, failure. I'm Ed Helms, and on season three of my podcast, Snafu, there's a story I couldn't wait to tell you. It's about an unlikely duo in the 1920s who tried to warn the public that Prohibition was going to backfire so badly it just might leave thousands dead from poison. Listen and subscribe to Snafu on the iHeart radio app, Apple podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. Do you remember what you said the first night I came over here?

Starting point is 00:00:34 How goes lower? From Blumhouse TV, iHeart podcasts, and Ember 20 comes an all new fictional comedy podcast series. Join the flighty Damien Hirst as he unravels the mystery of his vanished boyfriend. I've been spending all my time looking for answers about what happened to Santi. What's the way to find a missing person? Sleep with everyone he knew, obviously. Listen to the hookup on the iHeartRadio app, Apple podcasts, or wherever you listen to your favorite shows. Are your ears bored? Yeah. Are you looking for a new podcast that will make you laugh, learn, and say que?

Starting point is 00:01:08 Yeah! Then tune in to Locatora Radio Season 10 today. Okay! Now that's what I call a podcast. I'm Tioza. I'm Mala. The host of Locatora Radio, a radiophonic novella. Which is just a very extra way of saying...

Starting point is 00:01:24 A podcast. Listen to Locatora Radio Season 10 on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. Love at first swipe? I highly doubt it. Reality TV and social media have love all wrong. So what really makes relationships last? On this episode of Dope Labs, poet and

Starting point is 00:01:46 relationship expert, Young Pueblo breaks down the psychology of love and provides eye-opening insights and advice we all need. It's a big realization moment that you should not be postponing your happiness. Like your greatest happiness is not necessarily going to like come from a relationship. Your partner, they should add to your happiness, but your happiness is really coming from within you. Listen to Dope Labs on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. This is It Could Happen Here. I'm Garrison Davis. Tesla derangement syndrome is sweeping

Starting point is 00:02:30 the nation. Last week on March 11th, President Donald Trump starred in a 35-minute Tesla commercial broadcast live from the White House driveway to news stations across the country. This presidential ad campaign started with Trump announcing that he himself would buy a Tesla in support of his eunuch advisor, Elon Musk, whose business ventures have taken a sour turn as of late. To assist Trump with his purchase, the South Lawn was temporarily turned into a Tesla showroom, with five different models parked in a row to choose which shiny new car to buy. A significant portion of this Tesla sales event was spent by Trump praising Elon Musk's work at Doge, as well as Elon's business ventures,

Starting point is 00:03:19 and complaining about people treating Elon Musk unfairly, saying that he, quote, shouldn't be penalized because he's a patriot. I'm just telling people this man is a great patriot and you should cherish him. You should cherish him. You know, I have a little statement. We have to take care of our high IQ people because we don't have too many of them. And we've got to take care of them. As for the cars, Trump mentioned that he actually already bought a cyber truck for his granddaughter Kai, which Trump called the coolest design, but this time he chose a red Tesla Model S. Upon climbing in the car, that Secret Service does not allow him to operate.

Starting point is 00:04:04 Trump remarked, wow, everything's computer. At the end of the live streamed Tesla commercial, Trump said that he would pay with a check, though for the duration of the event, Trump served as both buyer and salesman, as he read off from a sheet of notes on pricing and features for various Tesla models, like how, quote, Tesla's can be purchased for as low as $2.99 a month. I have a lot of information that's put into price. I want to make a good deal here. You know, I do notice this. They have one, which is $35,000, which is pretty low. What is that all about?

Starting point is 00:04:41 This whole charade was an explicit attempt to rescue Tesla's plummeting stock price and help foster a new demographic of electric car buyers. Anti-woke conservatives looking to show support of Elon Musk, Doge, and the new Trump administration through consumer purchases. Trump himself said that he hoped doing ads for Tesla on the White House driveway would help Tesla's stock value and encouraged others to buy Elon's cars. The next day, Tesla shares did rise 4%, but are now trending back down,

Starting point is 00:05:14 amid a global wave of protests against Tesla for Musk's involvement with Doge and the Trump administration, as well as Elon's Nazi curious behavior. Trump has tried to face this wave of hate against his new best friend head on, truthing on his platform of choice, Truth Social, last week, quote, Elon Musk is putting it on the line in order to help our nation and he is doing a fantastic job. But the radical left lunatics, as they often do, are trying to illegally and collusively boycott Tesla, one of the world's greatest automakers, and Elon's

Starting point is 00:05:53 quote unquote baby, in order to attack and do harm to Elon and everything he stands for. They tried to do it to me at the 2024 presidential ballot box, but how did that work out?" There's a lot to unpack there. From Trump calling Tesla Elon's baby, despite Elon carrying around his baby at the White House near 24-7, to bizarrely declaring protest boycotts as illegal. Not only has Trump called the Tesla boycott illegal, but during the White House car commercial he announced that vandalism of Teslas will be labeled as domestic terrorism, promising that perpetrators will

Starting point is 00:06:34 quote-unquote go through hell. White House spokesperson Harrison Fields said, quote, ongoing and heinous acts of violence against Tesla by radical leftist activists are nothing short of domestic terror." There certainly has been a surge of violence targeted at Tesla vehicles and dealerships, which I will discuss in detail later this episode. But for the past months, there's also been a wave of nonviolent protests and mass mobilization against Musk and Tesla at dealerships all around the country and even overseas, which the aforementioned boycott is a part

Starting point is 00:07:11 of. The quote-unquote Tesla takedown protests call to quote, sell your Teslas, dump your stock, join the picket lines. We're tanking Tesla's stock price to stop Musk." Their website has a map of Tesla dealerships around the world and a list of upcoming protests at various locations, which can be searched through via zip code. There have been reoccurring weekly protests at dealerships every Saturday in cities across the country, with demonstrations at more than 50 Tesla showrooms attracting crowds of between dozens to a thousand like in Tucson, Arizona. Tucson, Arizona.

Starting point is 00:07:50 The boycotts and public demonstrations certainly aren't helping Tesla's stock price and international reputation, but they are not the only display of displeasure directed at Elon and Tesla, as others are employing more direct methods to damage the company. Beyond peaceful protests, pickettings, short-lived dealership occupations, and waving anti-Elon Musk signs outside Tesla stores, Tesla vehicles themselves have become the nation's hottest graffiti mural service. Actually, around the world, people have been using Teslas to scribble epithets against Elon Musk and Donald Trump.

Starting point is 00:08:31 Even some eco-conscious owners of Tesla vehicles have defaced their own cars with stickers that read, "'I bought this before he was a Nazi.'" Which, hey, you can also put on your old Kanye West records. Speaking of Kanye West, some individuals have taken to marking Teslas with a swastika, which at first raised eyebrows and confused some investigators, as typically when there's swastika graffiti, it's supposed to be anti-semitic in nature. Whereas in this case, based on external factors, this is most likely a public attempt to

Starting point is 00:09:07 link Elon Musk and Tesla with Nazism, following Musk's own anti-Semitic posts, far-right politics, and the whole salute thing. Stickers and flyers have spread from the UK to San Francisco, reading don't buy a swastikaar. But it's not all stickers and graffiti. We'll talk about the other Tesla attacks after this ad break. Prohibition. It's no secret that banning alcohol didn't stop people from living it up in the 1920s. When we're five years into prohibition, the government is starting to go, okay, this isn't working.

Starting point is 00:09:48 In fact, you might even say it backfired spectacularly. I'm Ed Helms, and on season three of my podcast, Snafu, we're taking you back to the 1920s and the tale of Formula Six. Because what you probably don't know about Prohibition is that American citizens were dying in massive numbers due to poisoned liquor, and all along an unlikely duo was trying desperately to stop the corruption behind it. They were like superhero crusaders turning the page on a system that didn't work, wasn't fair, and was corrupt.

Starting point is 00:10:23 So how did Prohibition's war on alcohol go so off the rails that the government wound up poisoning its own people? To find out, listen and subscribe to Snafu on the iHeart radio app, Apple podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. Do you remember what you said the first night I came over here? How goes lower?

Starting point is 00:10:46 From Blumhouse TV, iHeart Podcasts, and Ember 20 comes an all new fictional comedy podcast series. Join the flighty Damien Hirst as he unravels the mystery of his vanished boyfriend. And Santi was gone. I've been spending all my time looking for answers about what happened to Santi. And what's the way to find a missing person? Sleep with everyone he knew, obviously. Mm, pillow talk. The most unwelcome window into the human psyche.

Starting point is 00:11:11 Follow our out of his element hero as he engages in a series of ill-conceived investigative hookups. Mama always used to say, God gave me gumption in place of a gag reflex. And as I was about to learn, no amount of showering can wash your hands of a bad hookup. Now take a big whiff, my brah.

Starting point is 00:11:32 Listen to The Hookup on the iHeartRadio app, Apple podcasts, or wherever you listen to your favorite shows. How serious is youth vaping? Irreversible lung damage serious, one in 10 kids vape serious, which warrants a serious conversation from a serious parental figure like yourself. Not the seriously know-it-all sports dad, or the seriously smart podcaster. It requires a serious conversation that is best had by you. No, seriously, the best person to talk to your child about vaping is you.

Starting point is 00:12:05 To start the conversation, visit TalkAboutVaping.org, brought to you by the American Lung Association and the Ad Council. Why would you do that to me when I thought we were friends? We are friends. Los Angeles, 2021. A friendly neighbor appears out of nowhere and promises to make all my dreams come true. Let's not forget that David Bloom was a professional con artist, so you didn't stand a chance. But my dreams soon turned into a nightmare. Bloom generally targeted people with money.

Starting point is 00:12:37 And I was not alone. He took over a hundred people for over $15 million. One of the victims was his own grandmother. I was married to David for almost 10 years. It was insane. I was barely functioning. And I just had this realization that he will not stop until he kills me.

Starting point is 00:12:56 Getting a con artist to pay for their crimes isn't easy. Charge David Blum! I'm Caroline DeMore. Listen as I take down my scammer on Once Upon a Con on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. Okay, we're back. One of the most bizarre instances of Tesla vandalism was when 44 wheels were stolen off 12 unsold Tesla's in a Texas parking lot

Starting point is 00:13:27 on Valentine's Day. Investigators say they don't currently have any leads since the nearby security cameras weren't recording and the Tesla cameras were not active. These Tesla's were actually being stored in an Amazon parking lot six miles away from their home dealership. Allegedly, Tesla is contracting with other businesses to store their cars amid a wave of vandalism at Tesla dealerships. On March 11th, wheels were damaged on multiple vehicles at a Tesla dealership in Dedham, Massachusetts. In Myers, California, Tesla superchargers keep being sabotaged with epoxy found in the charging cable and anti-Elon Musk graffiti with Chargers marked with swastikas.

Starting point is 00:14:10 Seven Tesla charging stations at a shopping center were arsoned outside of Boston, Massachusetts on March 3rd and on March 7th, Maltese cocktails were thrown at a Tesla charging station in South Carolina with long-lived Ukraine on the ground in red paint. A 24-year-old man was taken into custody on March 13th. But it's not just wheel thefts and supercharger sabotage. Tesla dealerships have been a target for anti-Mosgraffiti, vandalism, and armed attacks. Some commentators have been conflating the picketing protests and graffiti with actual instances of arson and property destruction. People like Libs of TikTok labeling simple spray paint as quote

Starting point is 00:14:55 unquote trans violence or trans terrorism. Which is not to say some people aren't taking a more destructive approach towards their Elon Musk grievances. Whether that qualifies as terrorism is another issue though. On January 20th, a man wearing black pulling a wheelie cart approached a Tesla dealership in Salem, ignite, and throw three more Molotov cocktails from his rolling cart before realizing an eyewitness is charging their Tesla nearby. The man in black pulls out a suppressor-mounted AR-style rifle and points it at the witness as they drive away, before continuing to throw more Molotov cocktails at parked vehicles.

Starting point is 00:15:41 A rock was used to break the glass of the dealership showroom, and another Molotov cocktail was thrown inside the building. A criminal complaint claims that this incident caused around $500,000 in damage to the dealership, including damaging seven Tesla vehicles. A month later, on February 19th, the same dealership was hit again, this time with gunshots breaking through windows and hitting vehicles. In early March, a 41-year-old man was arrested in connection to both incidents, with court documents claiming fingerprints were identified on recovered glass bottles used for explosive devices, and the suspect's car was identified in footage captured by a police car parked near the Tesla dealership. A bit north of Salem, in Tigard, Oregon, there have been two incidents of gunshots being fired at a Tesla dealership just this month.

Starting point is 00:16:33 A Tigard Police press release reads, quote, For the second time in a week, Tigard police are investigating shots fired at a Tesla dealership. Early this morning, March 13, 2025, around 4.15 AM, more than a dozen shots were fired at the dealership, causing extensive damage to cars and showroom windows." Unquote. There's also been a series of incidents at a Tesla dealership in northern Colorado.

Starting point is 00:16:59 A spree of anti-Musk graffiti and vandalism started in January with Molotov cocktail style incendiary devices found on the scene. On February 7th, police responded to a call about graffiti and possible arson at the dealership. A few days later, a security guard confronted an individual spray painting the front windows of the dealership, and on February 24th, a suspect was arrested at the dealership, allegedly in possession of bottles and gasoline. She was charged in late February. Another person was arrested, allegedly in connection to a similar, yet unrelated incident at the very same dealership in Loveland, Colorado.

Starting point is 00:17:40 After a Molotov cocktail style device was found burning between two Tesla vehicles on March 7th, the rocks were also used to damage both the building and multiple cars. At around 11pm on Sunday, March 9th, four Cybertrucks erupted into flames at a Tesla parking lot in Seattle, Washington. On Monday, March 17th, two Cybertrucks were set on fire at a dealership in Kansas City. Here's how local TV news reported the incident. Around 11 p.m. officers were called to a fire at a car lot. Car fire at that Tesla dealership in the parking lot. A KCPD officer was close by when he noticed smoke coming from a Tesla Cybertruck.

Starting point is 00:18:21 The officer used his fire extinguisher to try to put out the flames, but the fire continued to spread. KCFD was called in to help. Our crews got on scene and the fire was in two cyber trucks. It had spread from one to the other. We were able to get water on them. Copious amounts of water get the fire out. Now federal agencies are getting involved.

Starting point is 00:18:42 We saw an ATF officer with a bag of evidence. They say this incident follows similar reports from across the country of violence at Tesla dealerships. I mean, you're eventually going to get caught, right? Reaction to this incident has been mixed, with some condemning the crime and others who see it as a form of protest towards the automaker. And just a few days ago, on March 18th, an individual dressed in all black fired gunshots and threw Molotov cocktails, damaging five cars at a Tesla service center in Las Vegas.

Starting point is 00:19:15 The Las Vegas Review Journal writes that the FBI Joint Terrorism Task Force is investigating the matter. Quote, agents arrived at the scene early Tuesday, according to FBI Special Agent in Charge Spencer Evans. Evans said that while it was too early to call the attack an act of terrorism, it had quote unquote, some of the hallmarks and a potential political agenda unquote. Now, this particular incident in Las Vegas really got to Elon Musk, who spent the rest of the day complaining on Twitter that Tesla has quote, done nothing to deserve these evil attacks, unquote. Attacks on Tesla have not been contained to the United States.

Starting point is 00:19:56 In early March, 12 Teslas parked outside of a dealership in southern France were set ablaze, and outside Berlin, unknown persons set fire to a high voltage transmission line on a power pylon, cutting power to a massive Tesla manufacturing plant in Germany for multiple days. This follows a series of direct actions and a forest encampment where the Tesla Gigafactory seeks to expand by leveling 250 acres of forest. The German forest encampment lasted nine months before being successfully raided by police this last November, with police destroying treehouses and trashing tents.

Starting point is 00:20:35 After the whole, my heart goes out to you salute, and subsequent endorsement of AFD, Musk's reputation in Germany specifically is suffering a steep decline. To quote the Washington Post, quote, Tesla stock has fallen by more than 35% since Trump's inauguration. And last year, the company suffered its first annual sales drop in more than a decade. In Germany, Tesla car sales plummeted by 76% in February compared with a year earlier, according to figures released Wednesday. And some owners have expressed buyer's remorse over owning a car some now see as a symbol of far-right politics, a stark departure from the environmental consciousness it once epitomized.

Starting point is 00:21:20 And we'll talk more about how these protests are affecting Tesla's international reputation after this ad break. Prohibition. It's no secret that banning alcohol didn't stop people from living it up in the 1920s. When we're five years into Prohibition, the government is starting to go, okay, this isn't working. In fact, you might even say it backfired spectacularly. I'm Ed Helms and on season three of my podcast Snafu,

Starting point is 00:21:52 we're taking you back to the 1920s and the tale of Formula 6. Because what you probably don't know about Prohibition is that American citizens were dying in massive numbers due to poisoned liquor and all along an unlikely duo was trying desperately to stop the corruption behind it. They were like superhero crusaders turning the page on a system that didn't work, wasn't fair and was corrupt.

Starting point is 00:22:19 So how did Prohibition's war on alcohol go so off the rails that the government wound up poisoning its own people? To find out, listen and subscribe to Snafu on the iHeart radio app, Apple podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. Do you remember what you said the first night I came over here? How goes lower?

Starting point is 00:22:42 From Blumhouse TV, iHe Podcasts, and Ember 20, comes an all new fictional comedy podcast series. Join the flighty Damien Hirst as he unravels the mystery of his vanished boyfriend. And Santi was gone. I've been spending all my time looking for answers about what happened to Santi. And what's the way to find a missing person?

Starting point is 00:23:01 Sleep with everyone he knew, obviously. Hmm, pillow talk. The most unwelcome window into the human psyche. Follow our out of his element hero as he engages in a series of ill-conceived investigative hookups. Mama always used to say, God gave me gumption in place of a gag reflex.

Starting point is 00:23:17 And as I was about to learn, no amount of showering can wash your hands of a bad hookup. Now, take a big whiff, my brah. of showering can wash your hands of a bad hookup. How serious is youth vaping? Irreversible lung damage serious, one in ten kids vape serious, which warrants a serious conversation from a serious parental figure like yourself. Not the seriously know-it-all sports dad, or the seriously smart podcaster.

Starting point is 00:23:53 It requires a serious conversation that is best had by you. No, seriously, the best person to talk to your child about vaping is you. To start the conversation, visit TalkAboutVaping.orgorg brought to you by the American Lung Association and the Ad Council. Why would you do that to me when I thought we were friends? We are friends. Los Angeles, 2021. A friendly neighbor appears out of nowhere and promises to make all my dreams come true. Let's not forget that David Bloom was a professional artist, so you didn't stand a chance. But my dreams soon turned into a nightmare. Blum generally targeted people with money.

Starting point is 00:24:33 And I was not alone. He took over a hundred people for over $15 million. One of the victims was his own grandmother. I was married to David for almost 10 years. It was insane. I was married to David for almost 10 years. It was insane. I was barely functioning and I just had this realization that he will not stop until he kills me. Getting a con artist to pay for their crimes isn't easy.

Starting point is 00:24:58 I'm Caroline DeMore. Listen as I take down my scammer on Once Upon a Con on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. Okay, we're back. Right after the November election, Tesla stock surged to a never-before-seen high of $1.54 trillion. But as Musk's direct involvement in the government was ramped up, Tesla has fallen to about $777 billion. The massively inflated value of Tesla stock is directly related to the public perception of Elon Musk. And Tesla stock greatly determines Musk's own net worth, which is down more than $140 billion from this past December peak.

Starting point is 00:25:48 When Elon's reputation gets damaged, so does Tesla's, and vice versa. Tesla stock has been declining for nine consecutive weeks. JP Morgan analysts recently said that Tesla has lost so much value so quick that there really isn't any comparison. Quote, we struggle to think of anything analogous in the history of the automotive industry in which a brand has lost so much value so quickly. Unquote. And Forbes writes, quote, last week, JP Morgan analysts described the recent melting of Tesla's perception, especially in pockets of the world in which Musk inserted himself into right

Starting point is 00:26:24 wing politics such as Germany. About 53% of respondents to a CNN poll published last week said that they hold a negative opinion of Musk, compared to roughly 35% with a positive view and 11% with no take." Overseas, Tesla's sales in general are way down, even as electric vehicle purchasing is going up. New data from the European Automotive Manufacturers Association show that Tesla registrations in the European Union, Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway, Switzerland, and the UK have dropped by 45% when you compare January 2024 to January 2025. And this decline from Tesla comes as overall

Starting point is 00:27:08 electric vehicle sales have increased 37% in the same January 24 to 25 head-to-head comparison. China's own EVs are surpassing Tesla in global production and sales in China, which is a huge EV market. And Chinese manufacturer BYD is on track to overtake Tesla in global sales this year. And so if you consider the Tesla protests as a sort of public display of unhappiness

Starting point is 00:27:37 with Tesla and Elon Musk, combined with all these other economic factors impacting the automaker, if these trends continue, Musk and Tesla could be in real trouble. After the Las Vegas attack this Tuesday, Musk went on to Fox News to explain the situation as he sees it. Yeah, it turns out when you take away people's, you know, the money they're receiving, fortunately, they get very upset. And they they basically want to kill me because I'm stopping their fraud.

Starting point is 00:28:11 And they want to hurt Tesla because we're stopping this terrible waste and corruption in the government. And well, I guess they're bad people. Bad people do bad things. Essentially, Tesla is seen as an extension of Elon. And right now, Elon is seen as an extension of the Trump government. And even if people feel powerless to stop the government, hurting Tesla is seen as a much more achievable goal with ripple effects that reach Elon, Doge, and the Trump administration. And compared to protesting the government, Tesla is a soft target, with cars and dealerships all across the country,

Starting point is 00:28:54 not just in state capitals or in Washington DC, whereas government facilities are typically hard targets, by both being less accessible and more protected. JP Morgan analysts wrote, quote, Mr. Musk's work with the Department of Government Efficiency has proven controversial domestically, and while as many members of the political right may be pleased as those on the left are displeased, the effect on Tesla sales seems nevertheless negative, unquote. sales seems nevertheless negative." Musk is certainly trying to make the best of it by tapping into the previously untapped EV market of mega conservatives, and though the Tesla brand is gaining popularity amongst conservatives, that demographic is just far less likely than liberals to actually switch from a gas to electric car.

Starting point is 00:29:43 Still, the president and conservative media have been doing a lot of free Tesla commercials. Last week, Sean Hannity announced on air that he would be buying a Tesla. I don't believe in cancellation. I don't believe in cancel culture. You know, and I know maybe it's not going to make up a difference, but you know what? After I drove my friend's Tesla, I went I I already picked out the one I want it's called the the what is it called the s-plad and you realize this thing an electric vehicle has 1006 horsepower and goes from 0 to 62 in 2.0 seconds and this thing rips and you can go about 400 miles without a charge and I don't drive enough

Starting point is 00:30:27 To go further than 400 miles so I'm good And maybe it's just a gesture on my part and I like that I like new technology, but it's just a way of saying, you know, look what they're doing to this guy on Friday, March 14th Attorney General Pam Bondi said that she is opening an investigation into the attacks against Tesla. Quote, if you're going to touch a Tesla, go to a dealership, do anything. You better watch out because we're coming after you. Unquote. She released a statement on Tuesday after the Las Vegas arson, writing, quote, the swarm of violent attacks on Tesla property is nothing short of domestic terrorism unquote. Musk just can't seem to understand that tons of regular people really hate him now and instead has to

Starting point is 00:31:19 invent some grand conspiracy against him. Here's how he explained it on Fox News. Yeah, I mean, it's really come as quite a shock to me that there is this level of really hatred and violence from the left. I always thought 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 just,

Starting point is 00:31:51 you know, smashing up Teslas. Tesla is a peaceful company, we've never done anything awful. I've never done anything awful, I've only done productive things. So I think we just have a deranged, there's some kind of mental illness thing going on here because this doesn't make any sense. Yeah. And I think there are larger forces at work as well. I mean, I don't know who's funding it and who's coordinating it because this is crazy. I've never seen anything like this.

Starting point is 00:32:20 On X, the Everything app, Musk is much more open about who he suspects are these larger forces. Musk has spread claims that quote-unquote multiple Democrat NGOs are coordinating quote attacks on Tesla dealerships, staff, and vehicles. Last night a number of Cybertrucks were torched in Seattle. Democrats are becoming increasingly more desperate and violent." People in Musk's replies posted about how protesters are being paid by, quote, Democrat fundraising platform ActBlue, which is funded by Soros, unquote. ActBlue seems to be the right's new favorite conspiracy topic, from claiming that USAID was illegally laundering money to

Starting point is 00:33:05 Democrats through ActBlue, and now that ActBlue itself has the ability to funnel money to activist groups. ActBlue doesn't give away money or directly fund anything, it's a donation-based platform for registered organizations. This is like saying, go fund me paid for your top surgery. No, people donated on a fundraising platform. But nevertheless, this claim is going gangbusters on X the Everything app

Starting point is 00:33:35 and being boosted by Musk and his associates. A popular right-wing politics account on X, called Insurrection Barbie, posted that, quote that quote, attacks on the Tesla dealerships which have been linked to the Indivisible Project, a left of Stalin NGO that organizes street protests for the Democratic Party with shady prepaid debit cards that they run through ActBlue are committing economic terrorism meant to tank Tesla's stock and drive a wedge between Musk and Trump." Elon himself has claimed that a mysterious investigation has found five ActBlue-funded groups responsible for the Tesla protests,

Starting point is 00:34:21 Troublemakers, Disruption Project, Rise and Resist, Indivisible Project, and Democratic Socialists of America. Act Blue funders include George Soros, Reid Hoffman, Herbert Sandler, Patricia Bauman, and Lea Hunt Hendricks. If you know anything about this, please post in the replies, thanks, Elon." Now the main organizations behind the Tesla take down protests, two activist groups called the Troublemakers and the Disruption Project, don't even fundraise on ActBlue. They have no affiliation. But that hasn't stopped Elon from targeting specific activists and accusing them of committing

Starting point is 00:35:04 crimes simply for organizing pickets outside stores. Meanwhile, invoking the old anti-Semitic George Soros conspiracy, as Elon himself has funneled hundreds of millions of dollars to right-wing politicians this past year, and has threatened to primary any Republican congressman who doesn't cave on Trump's agenda. primary any Republican congressman who doesn't cave on Trump's agenda. So anyway, that is what's happening with Tesla derangement syndrome all across the country and even the world. Every day it feels like we are getting closer and closer to the cool zone. See you on the other side. If What Happened Here is a production of Cool Zone Media.

Starting point is 00:35:46 For more podcasts from Cool Zone Media, visit our website, CoolZoneMedia.com, or check us out on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you listen to podcasts. You can now find sources for It Could Happen Here listed directly in episode descriptions. Thanks for listening. Prohibition is synonymous with speakeasies, jazz, flappers, and of course, failure. descriptions. Thanks for listening. It just might leave thousands dead from poison. Listen and subscribe to Snafu on the iHeart radio app, Apple podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. Do you remember what you said the first night I came over here?

Starting point is 00:36:35 Ow, goes lower? From Blumhouse TV, iHeart podcasts, and Ember 20 comes an all new fictional comedy podcast series. Join the flighty Damien Hirst as he unravels the mystery of his vanished boyfriend. I've been spending all my time looking for answers about what happened to Santi. And what's the way to find a missing person? Sleep with everyone he knew, obviously.

Starting point is 00:36:56 Listen to the hookup on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you listen to your favorite shows. Are your ears bored? Yeah. Are you looking for a new podcast that will make you laugh, learn, and say, que? Yeah. Then tune in to Locatora Radio, Season 10 today.

Starting point is 00:37:15 Okay. Now that's what I call a podcast. I'm Theosa. I'm Mala. The host of Locatora Radio, a radiophonic novella. Which is just a very extra way of saying a podcast. Listen to Locatora Radio Season 10 on the iHeartRadio app, Apple podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts.

Starting point is 00:37:36 Reality TV and social media have love all wrong. So what really makes relationships last? On this episode of Dope Labs, poet and relationship expert Young Pueblo breaks down the psychology of love and provides eye-opening insights and advice we all need. You should not be postponing your happiness. Your greatest happiness is not necessarily going to, like, come from a relationship.

Starting point is 00:38:00 Your partner should add to your happiness, but your happiness is really coming from within you. Listen to Dope Labs on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts.

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It Could Happen Here - Behind the Tesla Attacks

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