A Tesla Cybertruck parked on Rector Street in New York, very close to Wall Street, has been defaced with a swastika.
Newsweek reached out to Tesla outside of regular working hours via email for comment.
Why It Matters
Elon Musk, the world's richest man and the CEO of Tesla, has become an ever-growing presence in the U.S. and in global politics. A staunch ally of Donald Trump, he has been appointed by the new president to lead the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE). He has used his X platform to push right -wing political movements globally.
At Trump's inauguration, Musk made a controversial gesture, which was considered by some to be a Nazi salute, though he has rejected this criticism, via a post on X, saying that he was being called a Nazi by "radical leftists." Nevertheless, Musk's actions have caused outrage, concern and sparked a wave of protests and vandalism.
What to Know
An image of the defaced Tesla was posted to Reddit, on the thread r/pics. The picture had received as 95,000 votes at the time of reporting, and almost 9,000 comments.
The pictures show a Tesla Cybertruck defaced with a red swastika. The vehicle was also pictured earlier in the day prior to it being defaced.
One user commented on the post, "Saw one in Brooklyn yesterday with a custom 'TOYOTA,' written cross the tailgate. Made me wonder if there was some in joke or they were trying to distance themselves from the brand."
Many Reddit users in the comments were critical of Musk and of Tesla, mocking both. One user commented that a Cybertruck is "the best form of birth control," while another wrote: "For real that thing is hideous."
The backlash against Musk following the inauguration gesture, seen by many as resembling a Nazi salute, has been prolonged and from a number of different sources, and it has led to Tesla vehicles being vandalized, as public hostility grows.
The U.K.-based group Everyone Hates Elon is branding hundreds of Tesla vehicles in London with stickers saying "don't buy swasticars."
Two left-wing activist groups, Led By Donkeys from the U.K. and Germany's Center for Political Beauty, recently claimed responsibility after they beamed an image of Elon Musk making the inauguration salute onto Tesla's gigafactory in Berlin, along with the words "Heil Tesla."
On Sunday, tech YouTuber Quinn Nelson posted a picture of defaced Tesla Supercharger on X. It had been defaced with a swastika and the word "Nazi."
The post read: "This graffiti at my local Supercharger would suggest that perhaps Elon Musk is damaging Tesla's brand." The post has 597,000 views as of reporting.
In response, Tesla announced on X that it will be pressing charges for vandalism aimed at the Superchargers.
What People Are Saying
Elon Musk, on X, in response to critics following the inauguration: "Frankly, they need better dirty tricks. The 'everyone is Hitler' attack is sooo tired."
One Reddit user commented: "Hard to tell if this was vandalized or an extra feature you could buy when purchasing that Swatzicar."
Tesla Superchargers on X: "We will press charges for vandalism at Superchargers."
What's Next
Tesla and Musk have not directly responded to the Wall Street Cybertruck being defaced. Reports of vandalism to Tesla cars and products affiliated with Musk may well continue.
Do you have a story Newsweek should be covering? Do you have any questions about this story? Contact LiveNews@newsweek.com.
English (US) ·