INCENDIARY BUT ‘MOSTLY PEACEFUL’: Nets Still Awful on Tesla Protests

Jorge Bonilla
March 25th, 2025 12:19 AM

Text to Speech

00:00 00:00
Font Size

The “legacy media” network newscasts continue their shameful reporting on the campaign of violence currently unfolding against Tesla, in protest of founder Elon Musk’s role in the Trump administration. Today’s stories included the rehashing of a familiar trope. 

First comes the worst: the new and unimproved CBS Evening News, with anchor John Dickerson seemingly having a problem with saying the attacks are directly linked to The Dogefather. Dickerson, instead, hiding behind the weasel word “apparently”. Watch the full brief below:

CBS EVENING NEWS

3/24/25

6:35 PM

JOHN DICKERSON: John: The FBI has set up a task force to investigate attacks targeting Tesla vehicles. A growing number of Teslas have been vandalized, apparently, to protest the role of Tesla founder Elon Musk in the Trump administration. A number of incendiary devices were found today at a Tesla showroom in Austin, Texas, where the company is headquartered.

Apparently. As if there were some other reason Teslas everywhere are getting shot at and burned down. There wasn’t a companion report on CBS Evening News Plus, so this 19 seconds was absolutely it regarding Tesla.

ABC’s report was marginally better, in that it was a full report versus an itty bitty brief. But it, too, was fatally flawed:

Embed ABC

VILLAREAL: Whit, Musk says several of his DOGE employees have received death threats,with a global day of action set for March 29th. Organizers calling for peaceful protests at Tesla locations this Wednesday across the globe, including this one right here in Austin. The FBI will surely be on high alert. Whit.

ABC’s report closed with what amounts to an advertisement of the next big Tesla protest. It’s almost as if correspondent Mireya Villareal wanted to get that in there as atonement for having to do the report.

Over at NBC, correspondent Liz Kreutz delivers an oldie but goodie:

LIZ KREUTZ: Protesters gathered over the weekend at nearly 90 Tesla showrooms, calling on people to sell their Teslas and dump their stock.

PROTESTER: What's going on in Washington, D.C. Right now is not right.

KREUTZ: While mostly peaceful, some turning confrontational. In Berkley, California, a 33-year-old counterprotester arrested after whipping out a stun gun. And in Palm Beach County, Florida, a Trump supporter charged with assault after driving his car toward protesters, narrowly avoiding them.

And the FBI is now warning the public to exercise vigilance and to look out for any suspicious activity in areas around Tesla dealerships. Lester.

HOLT: Liz Kreutz, thank you.

That’s right, kids: “mostly peaceful” has made its return to our political discourse. Granted, there are differences. The burning of entire cities nearly 5 years ago is somewhat different to the burning of Tesla service centers and privately owned vehicles. 

Then, as now, the media continue to be awful about protests that are inconvenient to a narrative set. In this case, the incendiary and “mostly peaceful” protests threatening to damage vital American industry.

Click “expand” to view full transcripts of the aforementioned reports as aired on their respective newscasts on Monday, March 24th, 2024:

ABC WORLD NEWS TONIGHT

3/24/25

6:37 PM

WHIT JOHNSON: Turning now to the FBI launching a new task force to investigate the growing reports of attacks targeting Tesla dealers and vehicles, at least 48 incidents nationwide, police say multiple incendiary devices were found at a Tesla dealership. ABC’s Mireya Villareal reports from Austin, Texas.

MIREYA VILLAREAL: After dozens of violent incidents like this against Teslas across the country, tonight, the FBI announcing it's launching a new task force comprised of counterterrorism agents to investigate who's targeting dealerships, cars and charging stations. Today, law enforcement swarming this Austin dealership not far from Tesla’s headquarters. Police finding and removing several incendiary devices. At that same show room over the weekend, crowds protesting. Officials have not indicated whether today's discovery is tied to that event. But anger over Musk's role in The White House, growing coast to coast -from New York City to Boston, Memphis and Colorado Springs. The FBI saying there's been at least 48 instances in at least nine states since January including arson, gunfire, and graffiti. The FBI now urging Americans to be vigilant around Tesla locations. The president, who's called the vandals “garbage”, today saying those caught are terrorists who should cut it out. 

DONALD TRUMP: They're going to suffer very grave consequences. Because they're really terrorists when you think about it. They’re- very- they’re terrorists at a high level.

VILLAREAL: Whit, Musk says several of his DOGE employees have received death threats,with a global day of action set for March 29th. Organizers calling for peaceful protests at Tesla locations this Wednesday across the globe, including this one right here in Austin. The FBI will surely be on high alert. Whit.

JOHNSON: All right, Mireya. Thank you.

NBC NIGHTLY NEWS

3/24/25

6:41 PM

LESTER HOLT: Now to new threats against Tesla. An incendiary device is found at a Texas showroom. It comes as protests grow as part of a “Tesla Takedown” movement. Here's Liz Kreutz with more.

LIZ KREUTZ: Tonight, the nationwide protests targeting Tesla and its CEO Elon Musk escalating. In Austin, Texas this morning, police finding multiple incendiary devices placed in a Tesla showroom. Nobody was injured, but the incident just the latest attack on Tesla which has become a political flash point by those frustrated with Musk's role in the federal government and DOGE spending cuts. During a cabinet meeting today, Musk saying DOGE employees are facing daily death threats.

ELON MUSK: A lot of them are just kids, you know, just trying to help out. And they’re very talented- they could get jobs for millions of dollars a year. Instead, they come here and earn peanuts and get death threats.

Tonight, FBI Director Kash Patel calling attacks on Tesla cars, showrooms, and charging stations “domestic terrorism”, and launching a new task force to investigate and find the perpetrators. This as a doxxing website resurfaced, publishing some contact information for Tesla owners. Protesters gathered over the weekend at nearly 90 Tesla showrooms, calling on people to sell their Teslas and dump their stock.

PROTESTER: What's going on in Washington, D.C. Right now is not right.

KREUTZ: While mostly peaceful, some turning confrontational. In Berkley, California, a 33-year-old counterprotester arrested after whipping out a stun gun. And in Palm Beach County, Florida, a Trump supporter charged with assault after driving his car toward protesters, narrowly avoiding them.

And the FBI is now warning the public to exercise vigilance and to look out for any suspicious activity in areas around Tesla dealerships. Lester.

HOLT: Liz Kreutz, thank you.

 

Donor Privacy Policy