As protests against Tesla continue to grow, Elon Musk is threatening to “go after” the people who say or post anything negative about the company — which he labels “propaganda.”

That was what I took away from Elon Musk’s 38-minute interview on Fox News last night, which largely focused on the billionaire’s efforts to eliminate government programs and fire thousands of federal workers. Those efforts have spurred thousands of people to protest at Tesla locations across the US. Waving signs and chanting slogans, the so-called Tesla Takedown protesters have become a symbol of opposition to Musk as the head of the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE).

There has also been an uptick in incidents of arson, vandalism, and violence against Tesla showrooms that, while unrelated to the protests, have led to Musk and President Donald Trump labeling these actions as “domestic terrorism.” And in last night’s interview, Musk made no distinction between those setting fire to Tesla vehicles and those speaking out against his company.

“What’s happening, it seems to me, is they’re being fed propaganda by the far left,” Musk said of the handful of suspects who have been arrested for allegedly destroying Tesla property. “And they believe it. It’s really unfortunate. But the real problem is not the people. It’s not like the crazy guy that firebombs a Tesla dealership. It’s the people pushing the propaganda that caused that guy to do it. Those are the real villains here, and we’re going to go after them. And the president’s made it clear. We’re going to go after them.”

It’s unclear whether Musk considers the people peacefully protesting Tesla as the alleged propaganda pushers, or instead some of the other shadowy groups he has alluded to in recent comments. He has shown a willingness to go after journalists and social media critics in the past. My worry is that things will get so bad for Tesla — and they likely will — that he begins to lash out at protesters, too.

Musk’s comments echo Trump’s efforts to falsely label a boycott against Tesla as “illegal.” And it’s a sign that the self-style free speech absolutist only believes in that freedom up until the speech starts to hurt one of his businesses. By labeling people who speak out against Tesla as the “real villains,” he is setting the stage for future crackdowns.

It certainly takes on a sinister tone in light of all the work that the Trump administration is doing to shield one of its largest political benefactors from the repercussions of his actions. In addition to nebulously labeling acts of vandalism as “domestic terrorism,” the FBI has formed a task force “to coordinate investigative activity and crack down on violent Tesla attacks,” according to FBI spokesperson Ben Williamson. And last week, Attorney General Pam Bondi announced federal charges against several people accused of targeting Tesla locations for vandalism and arson — even though those charges turned out to be weeks old.

The Trump administration is already arresting visa and green card holders, not for any crime they’ve committed, but because they’ve participated in pro-Palestinian activism on university campuses. What’s to stop them from arresting people for protesting Tesla?

Musk’s hypocrisy on free speech has been well established. He has banned critical journalists from Twitter, sued nonprofits and advertisers for allegedly organizing a boycott against his social media company, and is throttling links to news sites he doesn’t like.

He’s laying the groundwork to go after anyone he dubiously claims is targeting Tesla. He’s blamed fellow billionaires George Soros and Reid Hoffman, as well as the ActBlue fundraising organization, for allegedly funding the protests against his company, citing an unspecified “investigation.” (Soros’ name, in particular, is used frequently as an antisemitic dog whistle.)

There is no evidence that anyone is being paid to protest Tesla. Organizers have noted that the movement is entirely grassroots. “Here is the truth,” Valerie Costa, a member of Troublemakers, an environmental group in Seattle, wrote recently in The Guardian. “Tesla Takedown is a completely decentralized movement with hundreds of protests taking place around the globe, drawing many thousands of people out of their homes and on to the public sidewalks to stand up for programs that support poor people, older people, veterans, the sick.”

Protesters are planning their “biggest day of action yet” on March 29th, hoping to target every Tesla location in the US, as well as dozens overseas, for a total of 500 demonstrations. Organizers have repeatedly stressed that their movement is peaceful and unconnected to the acts of arson and vandalism taking place. But in a recent mobilizing call, they advised demonstrators to be prepared for possible retaliation — either from local officials or federal law enforcement.

The protesters are aware that they’re going up against the world’s richest man, who has incredibly powerful allies who are willing to stretch the law — and the US Constitution — to achieve their ideological goals. The question is how far Musk will go to chill the speech of people speaking out against his companies.