'Save Tesla Fire Musk' banner flies over downtown Austin

AUSTIN, Texas - A small plane with a banner saying "Save Tesla Fire Musk" was seen flying in Austin.

What we know:

The plane with the banner was spotted over downtown Austin.

The banner was seen ahead of the Tesla earnings call on April 22.

What we don't know:

It's not clear who is responsible for the banner.

What they're saying:

"The real reason for the protests, the actual reason. Is that those receiving the waste and fraud wish to continue receiving it," said Elon Musk.

"There are some challenges. And I expect that this year will probably have some unexpected bumps," he added.

What's been happening with Tesla?

Big picture view:

The banner comes amid recalls, lawsuits, and criticism of Tesla CEO Elon Musk and his involvement with the Trump administration.

Recently, a lawsuit was filed in California accusing the auto manufacturer of purposefully speeding up odometer readings on its cars to avoid paying for repairs covered under warranties.

The plaintiff in the lawsuit, Nyree Hinton, is a Tesla customer who bought a used Model Y in December 2022. The lawsuit seeks class action status in California, which could potentially cover more than one million Teslas.

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Last month, nearly all Tesla Cybertrucks were recalled due to an exterior panel flaw that could increase crash risk, marking the company's eighth Cybertruck recall since the first model's launch in November 2023.

There have also been a series of violent attacks on dealerships, charging stations and vehicles across the U.S. and internationally, with firebombings, gunfire, and vandalism reported. The rise in incidents has coincided with Musk’s deepening ties to President Trump, sparking concerns that Tesla has become a political flashpoint.

Musk has been leading Trump's Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), a new agency focused on cutting federal programs and restructuring government spending. He also donated $250 million to Trump's 2024 campaign, making him the largest individual donor in the race.

"I believe the right thing to do is to fight waste and fraud and get the country back on the right track and work together with President Trump and his administration," said Musk.

Also, Musk campaigned for Republican-backed Brad Schimel in Wisconsin's Supreme Court race, even funding his campaign and personally distributing one-million-dollar checks to voters. However, Schimel lost the race to Democratic-backed candidate Susan Crawford.