Seattle community organizer Valerie Costa finds herself unexpectedly targeted by Tesla CEO Elon Musk.
The 43-year-old co-founder of the environmental activist group Troublemakers has recently taken part in “Tesla Takedown,” a series of global protests opposing Musk’s agenda to cut federal jobs and disrupt government operations.
Musk publicly accused Costa’s group of being funded by a Democratic fundraising platform, which she adamantly denied, stating, “We’re not Act Blue funded. We don’t use Act Blue. We have like $3,000 in our bank account. I could tell you every single person who donated.”
Shortly after this, Musk escalated his attacks with unfounded accusations, claiming on social media that “Costa is committing crimes” while sharing a video clip of her podcast appearance.
Without any supporting evidence, Musk’s posts insinuated that Costa was responsible for violent incidents targeting Tesla properties, creating a troubling narrative around her role in the protests.
“When the most powerful person in the world says you’ve committed a crime, it doesn’t matter what the truth is,” Costa expressed.
The fallout from Musk’s comments was intense, leading to a barrage of threats and harassment from his supporters on social media, causing Costa to take precautionary measures such as removing personal information online and consulting a lawyer.
“At that point, I started to realize, ‘Oh no, I have to protect myself,'” she said.
Amid rising tensions and protests against Tesla, Costa fears that Musk might leverage his influence in the White House to further intimidate dissenters. Recent events showed President Trump publicly supporting Musk, pledging to label any vandalism against his company as domestic terrorism, consequently heightening the stakes for activists.
Musk’s rhetoric, Costa noted, conflates peaceful protests with violence, raising significant alarms about the implications for civil liberties and the right to protest in America.
“I took a day and was totally fearful: What do I do? How do I respond to this? And now I am so clear. I need to speak out and defend the right to protest. It’s really an essential part of what it means to be American,” Costa stated.
As part of the Tesla Takedown efforts, Costa and fellow activists aim to undermine Tesla’s value by encouraging boycotts against the company, which is central to Musk’s wealth and influence. Costa, as a passionate environmentalist, remains committed to her goals despite the unconventional challenge of opposing an electric vehicle manufacturer.
“That destruction is having a direct effect on people’s lives and well-being,” she stated, underscoring the broader implications of Musk’s actions on the public.
