'Astroturf': Critics speculate Tesla protests are not a grassroots movement, but carefully organized campaign

"Who is funding and organizing all these paid protests?" Musk posted to X early Sunday morning, accompanied by a video clip of podcast host Joe Rogan discussing left-wing protests in recent days. 

DOGE is a temporary cross-departmental organization that was established to slim down and streamline the federal government. The group will be dissolved on July 4, 2026.

The protests on Saturday were billed as "nonviolent" and showcased people line dancing outside Teslas stores while holding anti-swastika and anti-Musk signs. Others protested for a couple of hours outside of Tesla dealerships, local media outlets reported, with some holding signs reading "DON'T BUY SWASTICAR," or "Nobody elected Elon."

The U.S. protests on Saturday stretched from New York to Maryland to Texas to California. Many of the rallies saw dozens of protesters, while larger protests, such as one in Chicago, drew crowds of over 100 people, and another in New York drew hundreds of protesters, various media reports show. 

"Tesla Takedown is a peaceful protest movement. We oppose violence, vandalism and destruction of property. This protest is a lawful exercise of our First Amendment right to peaceful assembly," the Action Network, a left-wing advocacy group, described the nationwide protests online. 

"Rally attenders must be peaceful and nonviolent," another left-wing group, Indivisible, described a protest in New Jersey, which included directions on what to chant at passersby. "No vandalism of Tesla cars or stores; or insults of Tesla drivers permitted! When Tesla drivers pass we will chant, 'Sell your Tesla, Trade it in! instead of booing. STAY OFF THE ROADWAY! It is legal for protesters to be on the sidewalk but NOT to be on the roadway or block entrances to businesses, including Tesla. STAY OFF TESLA PROPERTY! We are not allowed on any private property. Indivisible policy forbids engaging with counter protesters (and other protestors) this is for the safety of all people."

"While local #TeslaTakedown protests may appear spontaneous and community-driven, they are the product of well-funded, tightly coordinated campaigns led by national political organizations like the Indivisible Project, http://MoveOn.org, and professional protest firms," Nomani continued. 

"These groups use digital platforms, pre-scripted chants, pre-printed signs, and nationwide toolkits to manufacture the appearance of grassroots activism, and the messages on Tyco Road mirror the language of protests nationwide. This kind of organizing is known as 'AstroTurfing' - a term used to describe top-down efforts that mimic authentic, bottom-up civic engagement," she continued on X.

Podcast host Joe Rogan, in a clip shared by Musk, speculated that protesters in past days were receiving money to take part in the anti-Tesla protests. 

"For a lot of losers, a lot of people who don't have things going well in their life, and I was a loser at many points in my life, is somebody called me up and said, 'Hey man, want to make 400 bucks an just go to this Kamala Harris rally?' I'm like, 'Yeah, let's go,'" "Joe Rogan Experience" released on Saturday. 

Other X users took to social media to speculate and accuse the Tesla protests of being an example of astroturfing. 

"NEW: Tesla protesters stop protesting at the Southlake Texas Tesla store the moment clock read 12 PM, according to @Carlos__Turcios. 'They all immediately left the minute it was 12:00 pm.' Odd," Trending Politics co-owner Colin Rugg posted to X. 

Fox News Digital reached out to Indivisible, the Action Network and MoveOn.org regarding the astroturf speculation on Sunday morning, but did not immediately receive comment. 

The protests on Saturday were overwhelmingly peaceful. Department of Justice chief Pam Bondi previously vowed earlier this month that violent protesters who attack and cause damage at Tesla showrooms and other properties will face the full force of the law. 

"The days of committing crimes without consequence have ended," Bondi said. "Let this be a warning: if you join this wave of domestic terrorism against Tesla properties, the Department of Justice will put you behind bars."

A Las Vegas man was arrested earlier this month for his alleged involvement in a Molotov cocktail attack on a Tesla property. The suspect in that case faces a bevy of felony charges, including three counts of arson, three counts of possession of an explosive device, five counts of shooting into a car and four counts of destroying personal property, according to local police.

Musk remarked on X on Saturday that it is "insanely ironic" that "the people shooting bullets into Tesla stores, burning down cars and generally being violent are calling me a Nazi when I have done literally zero violence at all."

Fox News Digital's Alec Schemmel contributed to this report.