The People's Purchasing Power

American consumers in 2023 spent nearly $19 trillion on goods. We have immense power as consumers.

Since Trump’s inauguration, we’ve been reminding companies of this power through boycotts which are beginning to show their effectiveness. 

Calls to boycott Tesla and protests at their dealerships are beginning to show their teeth.

On April 22nd, Elon Musk pledged to significantly cut back his role in DOGE, reducing his time to one or two days a week of involvement. The announcement comes after Tesla’s profits plummeted by a staggering 71% during the first fiscal quarter of 2025.

As the head of DOGE, Musk’s involvement in the Trump administration has directly harmed Tesla as the brand is seen as synonymous with Musk. Tesla Takedown protests, consumers selling their Teslas and refraining from purchasing the previously popular electric vehicles have all contributed to the damage to Tesla’s sales and the loss of its stock value. 

Another example of a boycott beginning to show its power are the calls to boycott Target.

Following Target’s abandonment of DEI after pressure from the White House in January, calls to boycott Target have been extensive.

The Latino Freeze and Target Fast (a call by faith leaders to give up Target for Lent) which has recently been extended indefinitely, have stood out as strong calls to let the discount retailer know that you can’t abandon your commitment to diversity and equity without facing severe repercussions.

Target’s stock has fallen by more than 33% since January 27th and its foot traffic has declined week over week since then as well. In previous years, Target’s foot traffic has grown weekly. 

The decline in foot traffic at Target, its drop in stock price, and Tesla’s dramatic drop in revenue all signal that sustained boycotts work.

As consumers, we have the ability to vote daily with our dollars. To learn more about ongoing boycotts and to pledge to be a part of the movement, check out Boycott Central here. 

Let’s continue to support local, family owned businesses and keep our hard earned money out of the pockets of greedy billionaires who are more concerned with exploiting our labor than they are with seeing us lead healthy, prosperous lives.