Below is my column in the New York Post on the increasing political violence on the left, particularly targeting Elon Musk, his companies, and his clients. There have been more arrests of people engaging in property destruction. What is most striking, however, is how Democrats have torched their core beliefs to pursue a scorched Earth campaign against Musk.
Here is the column:
In this “Age of Rage, it is common for people to become the very thing that they despise in others, jettisoning their most cherished values to strike out at those they hate.
Since the election, Democrats have shown that very self-destructive quality of rage in adopting anti-immigrant, anti-free speech, anti-labor, and even anti-environmental positions to get at Donald Trump or his supporters.
It consumes every part of a person. It is addictive, and it is contagious. What these rage addicts will not admit, however, is that they like it; they need it.
This time, they are targeting Elon Musk, whose dealerships, charging stations, and customers have been hit by political violence from the left.
While other billionaires from George Soros to Mark Zuckerberg have spent big on elections for the left, Musk is somehow uniquely evil because he gives money to Republicans and supports the Trump Administration.
This scorched Earth campaign was evident this week in New York, where democratic legislators are again moving to weaponize state laws for political purposes — just like they did with Trump.
New York state Sen. Pat Fahy (D-Albany) is pledging to bar Musk from direct sales in the state.
Notably, Fahy has been a longtime advocate of electric vehicles. The move will make it more difficult not just for Musk but other EV dealers to survive, but climate change policies be damned. Fahy and her colleagues want to get at Musk in any way they can.
Fahy explained, “No matter what we do, we’ve got to take this from Elon Musk. He’s part of an effort to go backwards.”
The move is not unique:
* The left decries political violence like January 6th but is largely silent as Teslas are set on fire and Cybertrucks are covered with graffiti. It promote boycotts and rallies with a wink at the vandals. As the violence increases around the country, the left has held protests featuring signs like “Burn a Tesla, Save Democracy.”
* Democrats have made the defense of immigration a core issue and have objected even to the use of the term “illegal” or “unlawful” to refer to those crossing the Southern border. Yet, they have attacked Musk due to his status as a naturalized citizen. He is denounced as a “foreigner” “meddling” in our government. Some questioned Musk’s loyalty because he is a naturalized American.
* Those who insist that they believe in free speech are supporting censorship and opposing Musk for restoring free speech protections on X.
* In California, labor advocates oppose expanded operations from SpaceX that would benefit workers in the state. California Coastal Commissioner Gretchen Newsom tried to block increased SpaceX launches despite their benefit for both the California economy and national security. Because he “aggressively injected himself into the presidential race,” it does not mater that this would cost money and labor opportunities. Retaliation for “hopping about the country, spewing and tweeting political falsehoods” was more important.
Still, the greatest hypocrisy may be found in the Democrats’ willingness to abandon environmental priorities for political revenge. It is a contest of virtue-signaling. Fighting for Mother Earth is fine on most days, but nothing compares to destroying Elon Musk.
Lawmakers and advocates are also pressuring pension funds to divest from Tesla while trying to force Tesla showrooms to close — at the cost of New York jobs.
Tesla is an American company making and selling cars in this country. It sells more electric vehicles in the US and New York than any other manufacturer. Yet it must now be destroyed because, unlike a Soros or a Zuckerberg, Musk’s political views are not acceptable to the left.
Tesla was allowed to operate five locations to directly sell to consumers under a 2014 deal because it was viewed as good for New York jobs, the New York economy, and, most importantly, the environment.
None of that matters now.
Fahy explained, “The bottom line is, Tesla has lost their right to promote these when they’re part of an administration that wants to go backwards. Elon Musk was handed a privilege here.”
It also does not matter that companies like Rivian and Lucid (and their employees) will be caught in the crossfire. Nothing matters but revenge.
Many Democrats seem to have lost a capacity for shame. They are disgusted only by the refusal of others to yield to their demands, not the use of any means to achieve political ends. The question is, what do Democrats like Fahy now stand for when everything they are is now defined by those they hate?
Jonathan Turley is the Shapiro professor of public interest law at George Washington University and the author of “The Indispensable Right: Free Speech in an Age of Rage.”
For the hard left, politics, their politics, their toxic unnatural brand of politics, is their religion. No wonder they get along with Muslims. Both are vicious towards apostates.
With all his money he has run out of toys he can play with. So he is now playing with USA.
To the benefit of us all, though the lens of hate against all things Republican/conservative justifies destruction, though self defeating.
OT: TARIFFS
We export our beef and import beef of a lesser quality. How does that make sense. We are importing nearly everything and the quality is very poor. So the plan is to put TARIFFS on these poor quality goods?
How about simply importing no foods and exporting no foods? The US has become some poor plantation where food is grown for foreign markets with more money. That’s what’s going on. I’d put an export fee on anything exposed.
Grow food for Americans, farmers and ranchers. Anyone tired of being the poor people in the world with bad imported food to eat?
Hi. Just wondering why you took down your own reply to my question! Multiple times. I honesty thought your were the champion of free speech. Here is what I wrote and what you took down. Why?
From you:
“I’m sure your readers would want to know this.”
Everyone knows it, retard.
If you are that
uninformed, maybe you’d be more at home over at Teen Vogue.
The fact you think you are revealing some blockbuster just reinforces my unbiased description of you.
Keep it up, dum dum
Let us know why you took this down
STOP THE DUMB POSTS ANON!!
This place is not moderated. I wish it was. So you got glitched. So stick a sock in it.
Likely the use of loaded words such as retard, ya buffoon
More people close to Biden are now describing a man who appears incompetent.
Would a Will executed by such a person be valid?
Would a contract be valid?
A pardon?
An executive order?
A law passed by Congress and placed on his desk?
Judicial appointments?
“Would a Will executed by such a person be valid?”
Excellent point, Young. We all have seen contested wills, and many wills were overturned. Surely, those agreements turned over are less important than those from Biden.
What a mess. We all know Biden was unable to adequately perform his duties, and even his supporters are saying so today. This is an unmanageable problem. Your comment is making my stomach turn
S. Meyer–
Yes, everyone is aware of the legal implications when a person was not of sound mind when he executes a Will.
The same is true when it comes to any other legally binding act. Google AI came up with a nice summary:
“Legal Implications of Lack of Sound Mind:
If a person is found to lack mental capacity at the time of signing a will or other legal document, the document may be deemed invalid.
Dispute and Evidence:
If someone believes a person was not of sound mind when they signed a will or other legal document, they can challenge its validity in court. Evidence may include witness statements, medical records, and other relevant information. ”
‘Other relevant information’ regarding Biden’s mental state could include Hur’s reasoning for not charging Biden for mishandling secret documents. If he is too far gone to stand trial is he still competent to appoint someone to the Supreme Court? His choice [assuming it was he who really made the choice] argues against it.
Other relevant information could include more evidence about the Autopen.
Executive Orders are legal documents. Statutes are legal documents. Appointments to the judicial branch of government are legal documents. Appointments to cabinet positions are on legal documents. All of these are legal acts for which a sound mind is essential for them to be valid, that is for them to have legal effect.
Of course it can be said the the Senate approval of judicial and other appointments cured defects in the executive and I think that is arguable. I would argue it if I were representing that side. But I don’t think that position survives the fact that the Senate and people were deceived. Those close to Biden are now saying they were desperate to conceal his significant mental decline. Fraud was committed against the Senate and the American people.
The entire Biden administration may be seen to be legally invalid.
It is all true but unimaginable to rectify. We are a country, not a small entity. Upheavals of this nature are like gigantic tsunamis smashing the entire world with recurring shock waves for an indefinite time, followed by a lack of trust in the most consequential nation in the world.
S Meyer–
Likely impossible to rectify in toto. Courts would bow out as they did with the stolen election: “No standing” or “Not ripe” or “laches…too late”.
However, I can imagine a situation in which the DOJ wants to challenge a particular Biden action when the evidence shows that the Autopen President was not mentally competent at the time of that single act or appointment thus rendering it legally void. I think the President can enforce the law even when judges are too frightened to come out from under their desks.
There are other measures they can take before picking up that big hammer. But it is in the toolbox and just reminding the opposition of that might alter their decision chain.
Young in a specific case(s) Trump could threaten and let them take him to court. They could then come to an agreement. That is Trump’s style.
Yup.
Jonathan: There is a lot of Monday morning quarterbacking on your blog, trying to figure out how DJT/Musk lost so badly in the WI election yesterday. I think it was partly because Elon overplayed his hand. He should have quietly put his money into the Schimel campaign without a lot of fan fare. But, like DJT, Elon wants the limelight so he put on that circus on Sunday jumping up and down on the stage with the cheese hat and handing out million dollar checks to two of his cronies. That didn’t appeal to a lot of WI voters. Then Elon made another mistake. He portrayed the election in stark terms –as whether white “western civilization” would survive. He said the “destiny of humanity” was on the line in the election.. Such racist appeals by Musk fell flat with WI voters.
Now John Say always has some nonsense to offer. He claims Crawford won because the Dems were “outspending the republicans 3:1”. Fact check: That claim is false. Brad Schimel spent $45.9 million to Crawford’s $35.5 million. The ratio was in the opposite direction! So who is “disconnected from reality”, Jon? He also tries to explain Schimel’s loss by claiming Crawford’s win was “not unexpected”. Quite the opposite. Crawford always said she expected a tight race. That’s why so much money was spent on both sides and Crawford’s election team went on the offensive with a massive grass roots effort. The fact that Crawford won by 10 points was even a surprise to her.
Turns out even the richest person in the world couldn’t buy a state SC election for the MAGA candidate. What does that portend for the midterms? I would imagine some Republicans are beginning to question the wisdom of inviting Elon to support their election campaigns in 2026. That’s because Musk is now toxic and Republicans know it!
Yes. Great thinking.
PSYCHOBABBLE FROM DENNIS AS USUAL!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Dennis posted Jonathan: There is a lot of Monday morning quarterbacking on your blog, trying to figure out how DJT/Musk lost so badly in the WI election
As the only one paying any attention to your raving, I’m smiling as I remember a year ago when you posted that by next Monday, DJT would be serving time in prison.
Now I’m watching as Musk methodically takes away all the sources of your government welfare and entitlements.