Image from author.
The Bay Area, home to one of the first Tesla factories, is in the center of a growing wave of political unrest. With the introduction of the Department of Governmental Efficiency (DOGE) under President Trump’s second term, new players have entered the spotlight—namely Elon Musk.
As one of Trump’s right-hand men, Musk has been behind a series of controversial decisions. For example, under Musk’s position in DOGE, the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) has been effectively shut down. USAID employed around 10,000 people directly and supported many more through partnerships with private companies. They also were responsible for providing humanitarian aid and foreign assistance. This was essential to supporting people around the world who do not have a lot of advantages. This meant that when it was dismantled, thousands lost their jobs, leading to many uncertainties about what their future will hold.
Fueled by public outrage over Elon Musk’s involvement with DOGE, a wave of protests has erupted, resulting in widespread vandalization of Tesla vehicles.
For students here at Washington, this hits especially close to home. Many Fremont residents do in fact own a Tesla or even work for the company. “I feel like I, as a consumer, don’t really deserve to be reprimanded for this,” says Ishanvi Verma, a junior here at Washington. Verma adds, “I just own the car and we also got the car before everything even happened. This definitely does not warrant any destruction of my car.” Many owners of Teslas have even gone to the extent of putting notes on their cars stating they got the vehicle before the Trump administration took office. Even so, others argue that there was much involvement on Musk’s part in the campaign for Trump in the 2024 election. This meant that people must have known that Musk would be involved in American politics, even if they didn’t know the full extent of it.
The vandalization of Teslas has left many people frustrated, deepening existing political conflict. Some believe the acts are justified and send a clear message, while others argue that destroying personal property isn’t the answer. “I don’t think that these protests will do anything. It is now just inviting more chaos,” says junior Suhaansai Thatikonda.
To bring real change, many believe that vandalism isn’t the solution. Instead of creating unity, it just fuels more division between those protesting and those just trying to protect their property.
However, there is an opposing view— that extreme measures can bring much-needed awareness to a cause by drawing attention. “I think that these protests are honestly justified, just because of all the things that he has done,” says Thatikonda. Supporters of this view often argue that without any bold action, the public and media might not really pay attention to the issues at play. For them, this chaos is not a goal but rather a wake-up call.
In the end, whether seen as justified outrage or needless destruction, the Tesla protests have sparked a powerful debate. Many people have started to pay attention to decisions that the government has been making and are calling for fairer, more transparent actions. While opinions remain divided, the situation has clearly had a major impact, both locally and beyond, and it’s brought more attention to the consequences of political decisions and who they really affect.
Hailia Morshidi is a junior at Washington High School. She was born and raised in Fremont, California. This is her first year being apart of The Hatchet and she is very interested in writing on many important topics. These include global issues, local news, and student life here at Washington. She enjoys reading, writing, hanging out with friends, and listening to multiple different genres of music. In the future, she would like to study economics with a focus on pre-law in the hopes of becoming a lawyer.