Elon Musk goes on an anti-lockdown Twitter spree

Elon Musk has had some controversial opinions about the coronavirus pandemic, but now he’s firmly taken a side against the lockdowns which are imposed in many places in the U.S. at present.

“FREE AMERICA NOW,” the Tesla CEO tweeted to his 3.3 million Twitter followers on Wednesday, shortly after tweeting links to two stories on the subject of lockdowns — one Wall Street Journal opinion piece arguing that the data shows that lockdowns don’t save many lives, and the other a news story on Texas retailers, restaurants, and other businesses reopening on Friday. 

Replying to one Twitter user’s comment, which said that “the scariest thing about this pandemic is not the virus itself, it’s seeing American so easily bow down & give up their blood bought freedom to corrupt politicians who promise them safety,” Musk replied “true.”

The tweets have attracted a large number of negative opinions, with one commenter claiming Musk is “drunk with power” and another advising him to “get some sleep.” On the other side of the spectrum, some Twitter users are praising him for being “against government tyranny.“

Musk’s previous tweets on the coronavirus pandemic include suggesting unproven treatment, falsely claiming that kids are “essentially immune” to the virus and saying that the “coronavirus panic is dumb.” 

Tesla has had to shut down its factory in Fremont, California due to the Alameda County’s shelter-in-place orders, after failing to prove that it constitutes an “essential” business. The company helped fight the pandemic by buying a number of ventilators which might be useful in treating COVID-19 patients, and delivering them to Los Angeles hospitals. 

Some of Musk’s most recent comments echo the slogans of pro-Trump, anti-lockdown protesters in Michigan, Ohio, Kentucky, and elsewhere, which demanded the states to reopen. In some cases, however, reopening the states now would be against official White house guidelines for “opening up America again.” 

Tesla is expected to report its quarterly earnings after markets close on Wednesday, April 29. The coronavirus lockdowns have likely impacted the company’s business in Q1 2020, and they might have an even bigger impact on sales in the second quarter.