A one-second protest

# Why did I get a thumbs down?

No horn. No shouting. No touching the car. One small, legal gesture that says the badge stopped standing for what it used to. The thumb is for the brand and the man who profits from it, not the person behind the wheel.

Independent campaign. Not affiliated with Tesla, Inc. or Elon Musk.

## Tesla used to be the good news.

Tesla made the electric car something people actually wanted. It forced every other carmaker to follow, and the whole industry moved faster because of it. For years, driving one said something hopeful.

That is what makes this hard. A lot of good people bought these cars for good reasons.

## Then the man behind it showed us who he is.

2008 to 2017

### [Tesla makes the electric car mainstream](https://thumbsdownforelon.org/record#entry-1)

October 27, 2022

### [Musk buys Twitter](https://thumbsdownforelon.org/record#entry-2)

November 2022

### [Suspended accounts come back](https://thumbsdownforelon.org/record#entry-3)

July 13, 2024

### [He endorses Donald Trump](https://thumbsdownforelon.org/record#entry-4)

2024 election

### [At least US$288 million](https://thumbsdownforelon.org/record#entry-5)

December 20, 2024

### [He backs Germany's AfD](https://thumbsdownforelon.org/record#entry-6)

January 20, 2025

### [The gesture](https://thumbsdownforelon.org/record#entry-7)

[Watch the footage and judge for yourself.](https://thumbsdownforelon.org/#footage)

January 20, 2025

### [He gets a role in government](https://thumbsdownforelon.org/record#entry-8)

January 25, 2025

### [He addresses an AfD rally](https://thumbsdownforelon.org/record#entry-9)

2025 onward

### [Buyers respond](https://thumbsdownforelon.org/record#entry-10)

In our opinion, every new Tesla sold makes him richer and louder. That is what the thumb is for.

[Read the full record, with sources](https://thumbsdownforelon.org/record)

## The rules. All of them matter.

This only works if it stays calm, legal and a little bit funny. Break a rule and you are not part of this.

### Gesture only.

A thumbs down, plus an optional slow, disapproving head shake. Nothing else. No other gestures, no yelling.

### Never touch a car.

No keying, no stickers on someone else's vehicle, no blocking. Damage is a crime, and it hands him the story.

### No photos of people or plates.

Do not post drivers, licence plates or locations. Not here, not anywhere.

### Hands on the wheel.

If you are driving, drive. The thumb is for passengers and people on foot.

### No following, no confrontation.

One second and done. If a driver wants to talk, be decent about it.

### Remember who bought before.

Plenty of owners bought before any of this and cannot easily switch. Many of them agree with you.

[Get the sticker](https://thumbsdownforelon.org/#sticker)

Thumbs Down for Elon is an independent campaign. It is not affiliated with, endorsed by or connected to Tesla, Inc. or Elon Musk. Tesla is a trademark of Tesla, Inc., used here only to identify the company being discussed.

This site expresses opinion on a matter of public interest. The campaign is nonviolent and gesture only. We do not support vandalism, harassment or confrontation of any kind.

Every dated claim on this page is sourced in [the record](https://thumbsdownforelon.org/record) . Contact: [thumbsdown@thumbsdownforelon.com](mailto:thumbsdown@thumbsdownforelon.com).

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