US—Left-leaning Tesla owners across the country are frantically trying to extinguish the fires they set on their own electric vehicles just months ago. The sudden change of heart comes as Elon Musk, the billionaire CEO of Tesla and former Trump administration darling, has publicly fallen out with President Donald Trump, leaving progressive activists in a state of existential whiplash.

The saga began earlier this year when Musk, as head of the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), became a lightning rod for leftist outrage. Protests targeting Tesla showrooms and vehicles erupted nationwide, with some activists taking their anger to the next level by setting Teslas ablaze. “Burn a Tesla, save democracy!” was the rallying cry, as documented by outlets like City Journal. The fiery demonstrations were meant to symbolize resistance against Musk’s role in Trump’s administration, which many on the left saw as a betrayal of Tesla’s eco-friendly mission. One protester in Seattle was quoted by PBS News as saying, “Tesla is an easy target. They’re rolling down our streets!”

Fast forward to this week: Musk has dramatically parted ways with Trump, reportedly calling a Trump-backed domestic policy bill a “disgusting abomination,” according to The New York Times. The billionaire’s exit from the White House was met with a hero’s send-off, but it’s his latest feud with Trump that has leftists reeling. Musk, once vilified as a “techno-feudalist” by Trump adviser Steve Bannon (The New Republic), is now being cautiously re-embraced by the very people who were torching his cars.

“I set my Cybertruck on fire in March because Elon was destroying our democracy,” said Portland resident and self-proclaimed eco-warrior Skylar Green. “But now that he’s fighting Trump, I can see he’s clearly not such a bad guy so I’m, uh, trying to put it out. Turns out, electric car fires are really hard to extinguish!” Skylar was last seen dousing her smoldering vehicle with a garden hose, muttering about “needing to support the climate revolution again.”

The irony isn’t lost on observers. Just months ago, leftists were spray-painting “Nazi cars” on Tesla dealerships and cheering as Molotov cocktails lit up charging stations, as reported by Forbes and AP News. Comedian Jimmy Kimmel even egged on the vandalism with a sarcastic quip: “Please, don’t vandalize Tesla vehicles,” followed by a knowing grin (Washington Examiner). Now, those same activists are racing to salvage their Teslas, with some even peeling off their “I bought this before we knew Elon was crazy” bumper stickers (The Washington Post).

Social media is ablaze with memes of purple-haired protesters wielding fire extinguishers while chanting, “Elon’s back, baby!” One viral video shows a group in California desperately trying to save a burning Model Y, only to realize they’d accidentally used a can of hairspray instead of flame retardant. “We thought it was eco-friendly!” one protester wailed as the flames roared higher.

Meanwhile, Musk seems unfazed by the chaos. In a recent post on X, he wrote, “If you’re setting your Tesla on fire one day and saving it the next, maybe the problem isn’t me.” The billionaire has also doubled down on his feud with Trump, reportedly refusing to answer calls from House Speaker Mike Johnson, who admitted to The New York Times that he was struggling to “manage an unmanageable tech billionaire.”

As for the leftists, their sudden pivot has sparked a new wave of confusion. “I don’t know if I’m supposed to hate Elon or love him now,” said activist River Blue, who was spotted trying to scrub “F*** Trump” graffiti off their Tesla in a San Francisco parking lot. “I just want to drive my electric car in peace and save the planet, okay?”

In a final twist, some conservatives are now taking up the Tesla-torching mantle, angered by Musk’s betrayal of Trump. “If the lefties don’t want to burn Teslas anymore, we’ll do it for them!” declared a MAGA supporter at a rally in Texas, holding a lit tiki torch suspiciously close to a Model 3.

As the flames—both literal and metaphorical—continue to spread, one thing is clear: the saga of Elon Musk, Trump, and the Tesla firestarters is far from over. Stay tuned for the next chapter of this electrifying drama.

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