Environmental Progress founder rips Tesla vandals: 'Democrats are really lost'
Michael Shellenberger, founder of Environmental Progress, weighs in as vandals and protesters target Tesla stores and showrooms across the country
Environmental Progress founder Michael Shellenberger said on "Fox & Friends" that many Democrats have become "lost" and are afflicted with "Musk derangement syndrome." Shellenberger marveled at how left-wing climate activists are now "opposing one of the main technologies to deal with climate change" by going after Tesla dealerships and charging stations.
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MICHAEL SHELLENBERGER: The Democrats are really lost. I've never seen the left so lost as it is right now. I think it's revealing its true colors that you have one of the main climate justice organizations leading these protests against the most important electric car manufacturer in the world. I think what it shows is that what would really upset them, is that Elon Musk has been cutting the government or, under the work of President Trump, has been cutting the budget for all of these pet projects that had nothing whatsoever to do with climate change or the environment. I mean, it was quite shocking. The so-called Inflation Reduction Act was spending billions of dollars on just frankly, graft and grift and kickbacks and all sorts of corrupt enterprises that have now been exposed. And so anybody that cares about climate change — that we need things like natural gas, nuclear power — those are things that the so-called climate justice movement opposes.
President Donald Trump and Tesla CEO Elon Musk speak to reporters near a red Model S Tesla vehicle on the South Lawn of the White House Tuesday, March 11, 2025, in Washington. (Pool via AP) (Pool via AP?)
Indivisible, an organization founded by former Democratic congressional staffers, previously urged liberals to protest Musk's actions, going so far as providing a "tool kit" with recommendations on how to "take the fight to Elon." The manual details steps for planning and executing demonstrations at Tesla dealerships, showrooms and factories.
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The Environmental Progress founder argued that the idea of Democrats targeting Tesla dealerships demonstrates their hypocritical stance on climate change.
SHELLENBERGER: It's really Musk derangement syndrome. We saw it afflicted Trump beforehand. They've really gone crazy over it. Remember, these are people that say that we have ten years to solve climate change or the world would come to an end. They then advocated the shutting down [of] nuclear plants, advocating the ending of natural gas production, even though that was what was the main thing, reducing carbon emissions. So it's really never been about climate change. It's always been about getting government money for various pet projects, often to do political work. … It's the so-called sunshine movement. They really manipulated children and adolescents and teenagers in particular, to really become quite hysterical about climate change. But where are they now? What are they doing? They're opposing one of the main technologies to deal with climate change.
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Tesla car owners, dealerships and charging stations have been targeted nationwide in protest against electric carmaker CEO Elon Musk and his involvement with the Trump administration's Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), which aims to slash wasteful spending and fraud within the federal government.
An Oregon Tesla dealership, located 10 miles south of Portland, was targeted by gunshots Thursday, damaging multiple cars and shattering windows. Earlier this month, a man was arrested after Molotov cocktails were thrown at a Tesla dealership in Salem, Oregon.
People stand with other demonstrators during a protest of automaker billionaire CEO, Elon Musk near a Tesla vehicle dealership, Saturday, March 8, 2025, in Decatur, Ga.? (AP Photo/Mike Stewart)
In Massachusetts, several Tesla charging stations were set on fire where more than half a dozen chargers were damaged. And last week, the U.S. attorney’s office in Colorado charged 42-year-old Lucy Grace Nelson, also known as Justin Thomas Nelson, after police say they found a number of explosives and concerning messages at a Colorado Tesla dealership.
President Donald Trump promised he would pursue domestic terrorism charges against left-wing activists who target Tesla dealerships.
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"We already know who some of them are. We're going to catch them and they're bad guys. Let me tell you. You do it to Tesla and you do it to any company. We're going to catch you, and you're going to go through hell," he said.
Fox News' Alexandra Koch contributed to this report.
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