Tesla CEO and founder Elon Musk had some choice words for the ongoing coronavirus-fueled lockdown on Wednesday, describing it as “fascist,” as reported by the Daily Caller.
The billionaire made the comments during a first quarter Tesla earnings call with investors, and was asked about the company’s liquidity when he suddenly went into a rant against the government.
“To say that [people] cannot leave their house, and they will be arrested if they do, this is fascist,” Musk said. “This is not democratic. This is not freedom. Give people back their goddamn freedom.” He further described shelter-in-place orders as “forcibly imprisoning people in their homes,” and insisted that a continued shutdown would “cause great harm not just to Tesla, but to many companies. And while Tesla will weather the storm, there are many small companies that will not.”
The coronavirus curve already appears to be flattened and new cases are on the decline across America. Over 20 states have begun the process of reopening their economies in some capacity, particularly the states of Georgia and Texas. President Donald Trump has confirmed that the CDC-mandated “social distancing” guidelines will not be renewed for another month, and will officially expire today.