Olivia Burke
Elon Musk has told how he believes that 'larger forces are at work' with the aim of tanking Tesla and taking him out in the process.
The billionaire reckons that his critics are 'conspiring' against him due to his government role as the head of DOGE and close relationship with President Donald Trump.
Since leading the Department of Government Efficiency, he's been on a mission to slash spending and put a stop to 'wasting' funds, while also drastically reducing the federal workforce.
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Musk hasn't had the easiest start to his new job though, as those who aren't a fan of his decisions and constant presence in the White House have been boycotting his businesses.
Tesla sales have been slumping as a result, falling by 45 percent in the UK and more than 50 percent in Europe, hence why Trump was cosplaying as a car salesman last week.
People aren't a fan of Musk having his fingers in the pies of electric cars, politics, space and technology all at once - and his 'far-right' gesture back in January certainly didn't help matters.
Some of his foes have been taking their frustrations out on Tesla dealerships, according to reports, with a string of the vehicles being vandalised and even set ablaze.
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And according to the world's richest man, left-wing groups are the ones behind all of this 'hatred and violence' towards him.
Take a look at this:
Speaking to Sean Hannity on Fox News on Tuesday (18 March), Musk alleged: "It's really come as quite a shock to me that there is this level of hatred and violence from the left.
"I always thought that Democrats were supposed to be the party of empathy and caring, yet they are burning down cars, firebombing dealerships, firing bullets into dealerships, smashing up Tesla's."
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The SpaceX boss, 53, suggested that the target may have been put on Tesla by 'larger forces' who are pulling the strings from behind the scenes, but who he's alluding to exactly remains unclear.
"Tesla is a peaceful company, we've never done anything awful," Musk continued. "I've never done anything awful, I've only done productive things.
"I think we just have a deranged...there is some kind of mental illness going on, because this doesn't make any sense.
"I think there are larger forces at work as well - who is funding it and who is coordinating it? Because this is crazy, I've never seen anything like this."
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Hannity - an avid supporter of Trump and Musk, who proudly told viewers he thought Tesla's were 'the greatest car ever invented' - then asked the father-of-14 what has prompted the backlash.
Musk pointed to his DOGE role, while explaining why he thought threats were being made against his life, and the reasons behind the boycott of his businesses.
"It turns out that when you take away people's money that they're receiving fraudulently, they get very upset," he said.
"And they basically want kill me because I'm stopping their fraud and they want to hurt Tesla because we're stopping the terrible waste and corruption in the government.
"And, well, I guess they're bad people. Bad people do bad things."
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Musk went on to say that government waste and fraud is 'so high that it's causing a $2trillion annual deficit' for the US, which is why he's had to make some cut-throat decisions.
"The cost of our debt has gone so high that just the interest payments on the debt exceeds the entire military budget," he added.
Trump previously spoke out in support of his pal and warned that perpetrators who target Tesla or any other companies will feel the full wrath of the law.
"They're harming a great American company," the President said. "Let me tell you, you do it to Tesla, and you do it to any company, we're going to catch you, and... you're going to go through hell."
Attorney General Pam Bondi, who branded the attacks on Tesla 'domestic terrorism' said several people have already been charged in relation to the incidents.
"The Department of Justice has already charged several perpetrators with that in mind, including in cases that involve charges with five-year mandatory minimum sentences," Bondi said in a statement on Tuesday (18 March).
"We will continue investigations that impose severe consequences on those involved in these attacks, including those operating behind the scenes to coordinate and fund these crimes."