He used to be the darling of the Democrats, the builder of the electric vehicles that were the cornerstone of their green agenda. But when Elon Musk backed Trump for President and was appointed to head up a department to cut government waste and abuse, they lost their minds.
Tesla dealerships and drivers were attacked, vehicles were torched, and Musk hatred was fomented by politicians and celebrities alike. The Trump Administration labeled them domestic terrorists. The nation split into two camps: taxpayers who want the tech titan to root out $1 trillion in federal waste and those who think it’s a bad idea.
The two sides showed up at the Tesla dealership in Smithtown on Saturday to state their case. Suffolk Police made a concerted effort to keep the protesters apart under the steady din of blaring car horns along Nesconset Highway. No incidents were reported.
“We’re out here supporting our President and Elon Musk for doing what the people have been demanding for years: stop the Washington fraud and abuse,” said George Pritchard, a North Shirley 7-11 Corner Patriots member who helped organize the rally. “Elon Musk is our hero. He’s finding the fat in government for President Trump to trim.”
Pritchard noted Patriots groups in attendance from across the island, including Amityville, Bellmore, and South Huntington. The hundred-plus on the Trump side far outweighed the dozen or so demonstrating against him.
“Musk is wielding a chainsaw to our government institutions and is firing people without due process,” charged Dave Block, a Nesconset resident on the other side of the security fencing. “He’s doing great harm to the entire world.”
Trump campaigned on creating a Department of Government Efficiency and promised voters he would bring in Musk to run it. Right out of the gate, the entrepreneur and his team of business leaders and tech execs uncovered massive waste in practically every place they looked. They reported bizarre programs that few Americans could wrap their head around and overseas spending that angered many. The nation’s collective jaw dropped when Trump cited some of the more egregious examples during his State of the Union Address.
“We’re finding out where all of our money has been going, and it’s astounding,” said rallygoer Vicki Katsaros of Coram. “Instead of cheering Elon Musk for saving taxpayer dollars, they’re going after him. I guess they think it’s okay for America to go trillions of dollars in debt so we can shell out $10 million for male circumcision in Mozambique and $20 million for an Arab Sesame Street program.”
Musk’s team is going department by department in putting the government under a microscope as he did at Twitter when he fired 80% of the workforce with no appreciable effect. He said he’s on track to uncover $1 trillion in waste, fraud, and abuse.