People participate in a 'TeslaTakedown' protest against Elon Musk outside of a Tesla dealership in New York.
Image: Picture: Leonardo Munoz / AFP
The US-based Freedom Forward organisation has launched a campaign to get US senators to block all taxpayer funding for Elon Musk companies.
The organisation aims to reach at least 3,000 signatures. This is believed to be enough to call on the Senators to stop Musk from “using his wealth to destroy federal agencies that protect the health, safety, and prosperity of millions of Americans.”
The organisation said US taxpayers had provided billions to SpaceX and Tesla, two companies that Musk owns.
The institution rallied people behind the call to retaliate against Musk, saying Musk is a massive threat to US democracy.
“With Trump’s support, Musk is on an unconstitutional binge. He and his team of young racist tech bros are trying to destroy federal programs that millions of Americans depend on for our health, safety, and shared prosperity.
“Today, Musk is worth over $400 billion. He has built much of his wealth through billions of dollars in US government incentives and contracts. US taxpayers have given billions to SpaceX and Tesla, which Musk owns.
“His wealth is so closely tied to the federal government that he has become $218 billion richer since just 2024. Why? Because investors and market analysts expect Musk’s companies to earn a lot more money from federal policies and contracts now that Trump is in the White House,” read the statement.
The organisation added that Musk is destroying the US democratic system while profiting from American taxpayers, arguing that this is why US senators must immediately commit to blocking all legislation that funds or enables funding for Musk’s companies.
It also argued that once it becomes clear that Musk’s companies face a serious threat to their revenue, their market value will decline, resulting in Musk and his financial supporters losing billions of dollars in wealth.
“US senators must block all taxpayer funding for Elon Musk. Senators must filibuster any legislation that funds or enables funding for SpaceX, Tesla, or any other company owned or part-owned by Musk,” it said.
Sanjeev Bery, a foreign policy analyst and human rights advocate, told the Institute for Public Accuracy that this is a new action plan.
“In organisations concerned about Elon Musk, protests and calls to divest in stock. However, there has been no explicit call for elected Democrats in the US Senate and House of Representatives to fight to insert language in funding bills that block any contracts for Musk’s companies. It just hasn’t been talked about as a possibility.”
Bery argued that it is an opportunity for senators to filibuster and block funding for Musk’s companies and state legislators to introduce legislation affirming that their states will not engage in contracts or buy equipment or services from Musk’s companies, including SpaceX, Tesla, and other ventures.
“SpaceX, in particular, has a $350 billion valuation in significant part due to Musk’s relationship to President Donald Trump. SpaceX has received billions in federal contracts. There needs to be a push to divest America from SpaceX contracts and to broaden the basket of companies that America relies on for space exploration.
“We need to end the dynamic where America is heavily funding a billionaire who is using his wealth to destroy the federal government. The U.S. is engaging in a suicidal strategy: funding the very person who is trying to destroy the government.”
I would add that this is an opportunity to cut down that valuation dramatically, and Musk stands to lose a lot.
“We can start holding these billionaire oligarchs accountable… Right now, a billionaire clique is tightening its noose on effective government and free and open public discourse.”
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