We Have Just Destroyed a Tesla Model Y to Protest Musk, DOGE, and the Cuts to Medicaid, Ask Us Anything

This week on Reddit, Torque News spotted a post we just could not ignore. A group showed off some images of a Tesla Model Y being smashed to bits with giant wrenches and other implements of destruction. The post reads:

Yesterday, we destroyed a Tesla in Philadelphia to protest Musk, DOGE, and the cuts to Medicaid. Ask us anything!

We don’t want to short-circuit the Q&A process, which we hope that you will engage in in the comments section under this story, but we will lay out a few basic facts that appear in the post. Here is what the post sheds some light on. Please bear in mind, as you read along, that Torque News is recounting this story. We are not the people who destroyed the vehicle. You are reading first-person quotes from the Democratic PAC:

Q: Was this legal? Yes! We are a political action committee and are the titleholders of the vehicle bought from a dealer in New York State. We unequivocally condemn damaging property that you do not own. You can only break it if you bought it. Seriously, don’t try this at home or anywhere else. 

Q: Was this safe? Yes! We’ve removed the long-range lithium-ion battery and disarmed/removed all of the airbags. The event is being held at a site that specializes in car destruction for fun. All participants will be wearing protective equipment such as closed-toe shoes and goggles.

Q: Was this sustainable? Yes! The motors, battery, and electronics have been upcycled for use in EV conversions. The car held a salvage title and was sitting dormant for months, and was at risk of degrading in the elements. Special thanks to AMCO MOTORS in Philadelphia.

Q: Was this performative? Yes! Our PAC is unafraid of presenting the case of why Elon Musk and DOGE (is unfavorable to some)  in new, aggressive, and shocking ways to match the moment. “Strongly worded letters” aren’t going to cut it.

Q: Shouldn't you have donated the car instead? No. The car was NOT operational, and repairing the car would have cost more than it could be sold for. Additionally, once a Tesla is totaled, it's difficult to get it recertified by the dealership to regain warranty coverage. To offset our waste, our founder is making a donation equal to the value of the salvaged car we destroyed to World Central Kitchen.

Q: Should I try this at home? NO. Seriously, we’re telling you one more time. Doing this on a Tesla without proper precautions could lead to injury, fire, and/or death.

As you can see, this group is very committed to highlighting just how much it dislikes Elon Musk’s efforts to expose and stop taxpayer-funded waste, fraud, and abuse. The group is led by Jack Inacker. He says that he is a decorated Air Force veteran and Democratic strategist. PAC stands for “political action committee.” The acronym the PAC uses in its name is a slang term that begins with profanity. It means “messed up beyond all repair.”  At the PAC’s website, it says the country is messed up, but is still worth fighting for. 

Reddit members have been weighing in on this post, and some answers have already been provided. Here are some that we took note of:

• Q: My genuinely serious question is - do you think in hindsight there might have been a more effective way to protest?
• A: People protest in lots of ways, some making calls, online, and some in person.
• Q: Wouldn’t it have been better to use the car as an advertisement for your message instead of destroying it? Something similar to the Cyber Truck owner who was fired from Tesla. He spray-painted it and parked it near Tesla.
• A: We're going to take this wrecked Tesla on tour as our advertisement to GOP districts in PA and have speakers in those districts come out to speak directly about how Elon and DOGE are hurting them.
• Q: How does this further your goals? I assume it's a squeaky wheel gets the grease, hoping for clicks/attention to get your message read. Do you think this is the best use of your resources/time for your goal, or are there better, less trending approaches?
• A: There are people across the country with personal stories about how those cuts affected them and their loved ones. I think breaking some glass is worth it to get them shared.
• Q: You destroyed a Tesla? Who does this help? That’s my question.
• A: We're bringing attention to the Medicaid cuts that were signed off on by PA Republican Congress members. We had speakers who spoke about how those cuts directly impacted them and their families. We're doing more events just like this, exactly precisely because they're attention-seeking, because 'strongly worded letters' have gotten us nowhere.

In addition to the Q& session, many members offered up their opinions on this publicity stunt. Here is a quick selection:

1. Are you just trying to play into Fox News’s hands with this? 
2. This is as idiotic as conservatives shooting cans of Bud Light.
3. You destroyed a Tesla that you bought and paid for?

Torque News Weighs In On the Staged Destruction of a Model Y

While we prefer to avoid any overtly negative posts, this one passed our scrutiny because the details are very interesting. While most of our team does not agree with the sentiment that this PAC is expressing, we felt engaged by this post. We must say that this form of protest is very unique, and we have a hard time identifying any reason to criticize the event. 

Unlike the many Elon-Musk-inspired road rage attacks, Tesla-related arson incidents, and other forms of Tesla-targeted vandalism, this one harms no innocent owner. 

On the other hand, this type of protest may also be seen by some to represent a type of "sore loser," who calls himself a Democrat, but who “kicks and screams” when an democratic election turnout does not go the way he had expected. We hope that is not overly insulting, but our readers should take note that this article is labeled as an opinion piece. 

What’s your take on this stunt? Do you think it will help the PAC’s cause?

You may also feel free to express your opinion on the underlying issue in our comments section. All politely expressed opinions will be included and respected. 

Here is a link to the original post. 

John Goreham is a long-standing member of the New England Motor Press Association and an expert vehicle tester. John completed an engineering program with a focus on electric vehicles, followed by two decades of work in high-tech, biopharma, and the automotive supply chain before becoming a news contributor. He is a member of the Society of Automotive Engineers (SAE int). In addition to his eleven years of work at Torque News, John has published thousands of articles and reviews at American news outlets. He is known for offering unfiltered opinions on vehicle topics. You can connect with John on Linkedin and follow his work on his personal X channel or on our X channel. Please note that stories carrying John's by-line are never AI-generated, but he does employ grammar and punctuation software when proofreading and he also uses image generation tools. 

Image is a Grok-generated representation of the image that we saw in the post we referenced.