On a cold Tuesday afternoon, protesters bundled up and held up signs during a demonstration outside a Tesla dealership in Arlington, Virginia. The anti-Elon Musk protest is one of hundreds happening across the nation targeting the Musk-owned car company locations.
“I think Elon Musk has been unleashed onto our country without any authority, with unprecedented access to … incredibly private information that nobody should have access to,” said Adriana van Breda, of Alexandria.
Van Breda held a sign that read “Deport Musk” and was among a couple dozen protesters to show up at the dealership.
Musk, who heads the Trump administration’s Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) initiative, claims his team is doing “essential” work to reduce federal spending. This has included the layoffs of thousands of federal workers, with a majority of those firings hitting workers on probationary status.
While some drivers passing the demonstrators honked in support, others were critical of them.
“Somebody went by and honked his horn, and he said, ‘Quit protesting, get a job.’ I think a lot of people would love to, but they’re taking them all away,” said Bob, a protester from Arlington.
The protests at dealerships nationwide have varied in size, with the one in Arlington including close to two dozen demonstrators.
Michael Shea, of Arlington, said he was happy with the turnout.
“However many are here, the message is still the same: Elon Musk has to go, and they’ve got to return to following the Constitution,” Shea said.
Shea said this will be a “long struggle” that will involve many more protests.
Van Breda agreed and said she and her husband plan to attend many more protests in the days and weeks to come: “My husband and I were both retired, so this is what we do now. We do it for our children.”
Get breaking news and daily headlines delivered to your email inbox by signing up here.
© 2025 WTOP. All Rights Reserved. This website is not intended for users located within the European Economic Area.
