Evening Report — Tesla becomes cultural flashpoint

🔴 Plus: DOGE runs into GOP resistance

View Online Evening Report Thursday, March 20 | By Jonathan Easley TRUMP FIRST 100 DAYS ©  UPI Tesla emerges as cultural flashpoint in DOGE era ELON MUSK's flagship electric vehicle (EV) company has become a focal point of debate over the Trump administration's government cutback campaign.   Democrats have made a show of returning their EVs and celebrating Tesla's stock decline, while the White House has pushed to prop up the company.    The cultural movement around Tesla as an ideological signifier has taken a dark turn in recent days, with an outbreak of vandalism against vehicles and dealerships.   Attorney General Pam Bondi on Thursday announced the arrest of three individuals who used Molotov cocktails to set Tesla vehicles on fire. A day earlier, Bondi classified vandalism against Tesla as "domestic terrorism."   That hasn't stopped the outpouring of anger from Democrats, liberal commentators and late-night talk show hosts, who view Musk and the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) as public enemy No. 1.   "The world's richest mannequin has been trying to drum up sympathy for himself lately," Jimmy Kimmel said Wednesday night on his late night ABC talk show. "His sales are down, his stock is down."   After playing a clip of Musk lamenting the vandalism against Teslas, Kimmel said: "Let me see if I can explain this for you. When you pull out a chainsaw to celebrate firing thousands of people, they get mad."   Musk responded, calling Kimmel an "unfunny jerk."   Over the weekend, Sen. Mark Kelly (D-Ariz.) posted a video of himself returning his Tesla and purchasing a Chevy Tahoe SUV.   "This one was made by union labor, United Auto Workers in Arlington, Texas," Kelly said. "Always good to buy union cars. Incredibly reliable."   And Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz (D) shared a clip from a recent town hall event in which he said he checks out Tesla's stock swoon throughout the day "to give me a little boost."   Some Democrats are pushing back at those who are rooting for Tesla to fail.   Former Rep. Dean Phillips (D-Minn.), who ran a lonely primary challenge against former President Biden in 2020, blasted Walz for celebrating Tesla's stock decline.   "What I saw my governor and friend say…was appalling," Phillips told NewsNation.   "Not only does that hurt a lot of Minnesotans who have their money in pension funds, it hurts Tesla employees…no elected official should ever demean an American company like that," he added.   Rep. Ro Khanna (D-Calif.) condemned the vandalism against Teslas.   "I'm not going to root against Tesla," he said. "There are 20,000 people who work in my district who make a living off this. They're building electric vehicles that ultimately are good for the climate. I have huge, huge problems with what Elon Musk is doing. Have the protests and the conversation and criticism of Musk. Just don't take it out on a company where you have workers, where you have engineers, where you have scientists which are creating wealth for the country, which is helping the climate."   Tesla's stock price has fallen by about 50 percent since mid-December, weeks before Musk took on a high-profile role advising President Trump. The company also issued a recall of more than 46,000 Cybertrucks on Thursday over a faulty panel. MEANWHILE... Trump and his administration are trying to boost the Tesla brand, even using the White House lawn to showcase a new vehicle.   Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick urged Fox News viewers this week to buy Tesla stock, raising ethical questions on multiple fronts.   "Buy Tesla," Lutnick said. "It's unbelievable that this guy's stock is this cheap. It'll never be this cheap again."   White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt defended the remarks.   "I think the Commerce secretary was reiterating that the president supports an American made company like Tesla, who produces a very good product for the American people, which was beloved by the American people, particularly Democrats, until Elon Musk decided to vote for Donald Trump," she said. TRUMP GUTS DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION Trump on Thursday signed an executive order dramatically scaling back the Department of Education (DOE), fulfilling a controversial campaign pledge to overhaul how the government interacts with schools.   Trump's order will not abolish the DOE, which would require an act of Congress.   But Leavitt said the DOE will "be much smaller than it is today." Going forward, it will will focus primarily on Pell grants and student loans, while "the great responsibility of educating our nation's students will return to the state."   "We don't need to be spending more than $3 trillion over the course of a few decades on a department that's clearly failing in its initial intention to educate our students," Leavitt said.   Democrats and unions are furious.   "Legality aside, dismantling [the Education Department] will exacerbate existing disparities, reduce accountability, and put low-income students, students of color, students with disabilities, rural students and English as a Second Language students at risk," Rep. Bobby Scott (Va.), the top Democrat on the House education committee, said in a statement. DOGE RUNS INTO GOP RESISTANCE IN CONGRESS Musk's DOGE agenda is meeting resistance in the courts as well as with some GOP members of Congress.   The White House would like Congress to codify DOGE's cuts into law so they can't easily be undone by the next Democratic administration.   But The Hill's Aris Folley reports: "Senate Republicans aren't planning to be a rubber stamp for President Trump's sweeping operation to shrink the federal government as lawmakers look to fiscal 2026 funding."   Senate Appropriations Committee Chair Susan Collins (R-Maine) said "it could be possible that, after careful consideration, we would decide to codify some of them." However, those cuts won't be applied "across the board," she said.   Republicans are also growing tired with Musk's loose talk about cutting Social Security.   "He should zip it on that," one Republican senator told The Hill. "It's not helpful."   Republican members have been facing town hall revolts for weeks over Musk's cuts.   The latest: Rep. Harriet Hageman (R-Wyo.) was loudly booed at a Wyoming town hall for defending DOGE. 💡Perspectives: • Washington Post: A dozen judges say Trump probably broke the law. • New York Post: Democrats' silence is damning as leftist violence explodes. • The Hill: Can Congress dig itself out of its three holes? Read more:  • Murkowski: Republicans quiet out of fear 'they're going to be taken down.' • Trump officials circulate plan to overhaul U.S. foreign assistance. • Trump's FTC firings stir debate about agency independence. • Why Trump's antitrust agenda could spell trouble for Big Tech. CATCH UP QUICK The United Kingdom updated its advice for travel to the United States, warning of harsh consequences for British passport holders who violate U.S. immigration laws. Germany also updated its U.S. travel advice after three citizens were detained. The State Department says George Glezmann, an American airline mechanic held by the Taliban since 2022, has been released.   President Trump is bullish on the crypto industry, saying it will "unleash an explosion of economic growth." NEWS THIS AFTERNOON ©  Evan Vucci, Associated Press; and Valerie Plesch, Bloomberg via Getty Images GOP seeks legislative workaround to judicial rulings President Trump's feud with the federal judge who paused deportations under the Alien Enemies Act of 1798 has provoked Republicans to look for new ways to work around the Judicial Branch.   Impeachment and removal of U.S. District Judge James Boasberg is unlikely, given Republicans would need a two-thirds majority in the Senate. However, the White House said it will leave it up to Speaker Johnson (R-La.) as to whether he wants to pursue impeachment.   Sen. Josh Hawley (R-Mo.), a member of the Senate Judiciary Committee, says he'll introduce legislation to curb what he describes as a "dramatic abuse of judicial authority" by courts that have stopped Trump's initiatives on deportations and cutting the federal workforce.   And House Judiciary Committee Chair Jim Jordan (R-Ohio) is planning hearings on judges who have blocked Trump administration actions. He also said he's sitting on a "legislative remedy" that could potentially seek to block judges from issuing nationwide injunctions.   In the meantime, Trump's border czar Tom Homan says he'll abide by Boasberg's pause on deportations under the Alien Enemies Act while they "fight this out" in court. 💡Perspectives: • USA Today: Roberts' rebuke marks growing Trump showdown with judiciary. • Chronicles: Trump may have to save the Constitution from the courts. • The Hill: Trump should not surrender in the information war against Russia. • The Hill: Israel must solve the Palestinian issue to save itself. Read more:  • Pentagon appealing block on Trump transgender military ban. • GOP chairs 'very concerned' over Trump changing military commands. • Zelensky describes exchange on nuclear power plant 'ownership'. • Russia and Ukraine swap hundreds of prisoners. IN OTHER NEWS ©  Greg Nash Dems turn up the heat on Schumer Congressional Democrats are raising questions about Sen. Chuck Schumer's (D-N.Y.) leadership in the Senate as they face thorny questions from their constituents at town hall events in their home states.   Sen. Michael Bennet (D-Colo.) said at a town hall in Golden, Colo., that he understands liberal frustration with Schumer and other Senate Democrats who voted to advance the GOP's budget bill and avoid a government shutdown.   Bennet was asked if it's time for Schumer to step aside:   "In dodging your question, let me just say it's important for people to know when it's time to go," Bennet responded. "We're going to have conversations, I'm sure, in the foreseeable future, about all the Democratic leadership."   At least two other House Democrats have echoed that sentiment under fiery questioning from their constituents at town hall events this week.   Several liberal activist groups released a memo Thursday saying Schumer's "leadership is failing to meet the moment."   The New York Democrat has been making the media rounds to promote his new book on antisemitism, although he canceled several events due to "security concerns."   Democrats are also facing pressure from pro-Palestinian protests back home, with a demonstrator physically confronting Rep. Sean Casten (D-Ill.) on stage at a town hall event.   "If you would like to run for office, run for office," Casten responded.  💡Perspectives: • The Liberal Patriot: How deep is the hole Democrats are in? • The Bulwark: Democrats face a Joe Biden litmus test. • New York: I was Joe Biden's autopen. • Fox News: The only thing that will save Democrats in the age of Trump. • MSNBC: Schumer's spin fails to quell Dem concerns about his leadership. Read more:  • Wes Moore's star is rising as Democrats look for a comeback. • Senate Democrats call on Trump to reverse FTC firings. • Sanders: Tour meant to encourage more independent candidates. Stay Engaged Someone forward this newsletter to you? Sign up to get your own copy: TheHill.com/Evening. Did I miss a story? Drop me a line. See you next time! 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