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Google tried to distance itself from a pre-planned drag show featuring longtime performer “Peaches Christ” in San Francisco but employees still attended. Some of them booed their employer for what they viewed as a caving to pressure of an internal religion-led protest.

Jennifer Elias

A drag show originally meant to celebrate the end of Pride month turned into a rallying cry for corporate allyship as dozens of Google employees attended, some of whom booed their employer.

“I don’t usually usually talk about this sort of thing,” began longtime San Francisco-based drag performer Joshua Grannell, as he opened his a multi-performer drag show Tuesday evening from a small stage at a bar in the Castro neighborhood.

“Folks who work at Google put this together and we did this last year and it was fabulous and it was fun and we had a good time,” he continued. “And this year, a group of Christians at Google signed a petition to take this event from their employees because they thought it was upsetting, offensive, controversial.”

“Boo!” yelled dozens of attendees, including several Google employees wearing company “Pride” T-shirts.

Grannell, whose drag performer name is “Peaches Christ” was a planned performer at a drag show sponsored and promoted by Google to close out Pride month. However, as CNBC previously reported, the company removed its affiliation and instead encouraged employees away from the drag show to a new event at its offices. The move came as several hundred employees signed a petition opposing the drag performance, claiming it was offensive to their Christian religion and that they’d complained to human resources.

The company said the event hadn’t gone through the proper approval process but didn’t comment on the petition.

Attendees and Grannell said they viewed the change as a buckling to pressure of the Christian employees’ petition and complaints.

“I was called all sorts of things,” Grannell said on stage, referring to the petition. “Boo!” more attendees yelled. “We support you!” one employee yelled from the crowd.

Watch a video from the show here.

Both employees and Grannell told CNBC they were disappointed in the company for backtracking, adding that the company held a similar event last year without any problems.

Attendees described Grannell as an “icon” and “an institution” in the gay community.

“I’ve been a performer for nearly 30 years in San Francisco, and I employ hundreds of people, performers and artists across the city,” Grannell told CNBC.

“This thing that happened with Google, unfortunately for this event, is actually indicative of a huge groundswell of hatred across the country using drag queens and trans people a scapegoats,” he told the crowd Tuesday, which garnered more boos and yelling.

Drag shows have been a target of religious and conservative organizations and politicians leading up to the 2024 presidential election. That includes a flurry of legislative proposals backed by GOP governors attempting to limit drag events. 

Corporations have also faced backlash for Pride-related marketing. Bud Light came into the crosshairs after it struck a partnership with trans influencer Dylan Mulvaney, while North Face received backlash for an ad featuring drag queen Pattie Gonia. Target and Kohl’s have been criticized for Pride-themed clothing.

Joshua Grannell, who goes by the stage name “Peaches Christ,”addressed Google’s decision to distance itself from the pre-planned drag show.

Jennifer Elias

Following Grannell’s opening monologue, he repeated the reason for the event was to celebrate Pride and then proceeded to introduce the performers on a small stage toward the back of the venue, which held rainbow-colored lights.

The first performer sang in a sequenced Marilyn Monroe-style red dress to Diana Ross’ upbeat “The Boss.” The next performer dawned a large, multi-color coat who danced to Gloria Gaynor’s “I will survive.”

A few others followed, with their own unique acts. Some were comedic musical skits, others featured dancing and lip syncing.

“For me, it’s real bummer to see this happen but I also think it needs to be called out,” Grannell told CNBC after the show, referring to Google’s decision to distance itself from the planned event. “If you’re going to put a rainbow flag on stuff and march in the queer Pride parade but not support your queer employees and not take a stand against anti-queer sentiment, even in the name of religion, then you’re not a real ally.”

Drag performer acted out a comedic skit about her love of cats while lip synching “Crazy” by Patsy Cline. The skit garnered laughs from the audience.

Grannell said the stakes for a lot of drag performers are high, as some of them have come to rely on corporate sponsorship. “We’ve now created a culture where corporations’ allyship includes paying performers and paying queer people to celebrate Pride month. Google sets a standard for a lot of companies in the industry and in San Francisco,” he added.

Attendees and employees alike danced, cheered and took turns walking dollar bills to the stage throughout the nearly two-hour event.

“You have some work to do, Googlers,” Grannell told the crowd as he ended the show. “We’ve got to keep fighting and we will win—we’re on the right side of history.”

The crowd erupted in applause and cheers.

Google did not respond to a request for comment.

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Tesla is ‘carefully’ working on its India entry amid tariff concerns, says CFO

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Tesla is ‘carefully’ working on its India entry amid tariff concerns, says CFO

Elon Musk meets with Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi at Blair House in Washington DC, USA on February 13, 2025.

Anadolu | Anadolu | Getty Images

Tesla is cautiously navigating an entry into India, CFO Vaibhav Taneja said on Tuesday in the U.S., as the electric vehicle maker faces falling sales and tariff threats. 

Speaking on an earnings call, Taneja confirmed reports that the company is working on an expansion into India, adding that it would be a great market to enter, thanks to its “big middle class.” 

Nevertheless, India is also “a very hard market,” with EV imports into the country subject to a 70% tariff and about 30% luxury tax, he said, noting that this could make India-sold Tesla’s twice as expensive, he said. 

“That’s why we’ve been very careful trying to figure out when is the right time… these kinds of things create a little bit of tension, which we are trying to work out,” he added. 

India has signaled interest in Tesla setting up a base in the country, though the country’s protectionist policies present some obstacles for the EV maker. 

Taneja’s statements come just days after Tesla CEO Elon Musk spoke with India’s Prime Minister Narendra Modi on topics including collaboration on technology and innovation.

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Modi also met with Musk during his visit to Washington, D.C., in February, fueling speculation about Tesla’s plans for India. That same month, sources told CNBC-TV18 that the company was considering importing EVs from its Berlin plant into the country as early as April.

On India’s part, the government has proposed a new policy that could see EV tariffs fall from about 70% to 15% for firms that plan to localize some manufacturing in the country.  

Still, experts have told CNBC that Tesla would face price pressures under the scheme, with the company likely to push for further policy reforms.

However, American President Donald Trump’s new tariffs placed on U.S. trading partners, including India, could cast a cloud over potential negotiations between Tesla and New Delhi. 

Washington has imposed additional tariffs of 10% on India, but these could rise by 26% if a 90-day pause on Trump’s “reciprocal tariffs” ends without a U.S.-India trade deal. 

Vice President JD Vance met with Modi in India on Monday, hailing “significant” progress made in trade talks between the two countries. 

Tesla reported disappointing first-quarter results Tuesday, including a 20% year-over-year drop in automotive revenue and a 71% slump in net income.

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Here’s what Elon Musk said about tariffs and their potential effect on Tesla

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Here's what Elon Musk said about tariffs and their potential effect on Tesla

U.S. President Donald Trump talks to the media, next to Tesla CEO Elon Musk with his son X Æ A-12, at the White House in Washington, D.C., U.S., March 11, 2025. 

Kevin Lamarque | Reuters

Elon Musk said on Tuesday that he doesn’t like high or unpredictable tariffs, but any decision on what happens with them “is entirely up to the president of the United States.”

Speaking on his company’s first-quarter earnings call, with tariff-related uncertainty swirling across the economy, Musk said Tesla is in a relatively good position, compared to other U.S. automakers, because it has “localized supply chains” in North America, Europe and China.

Musk said Tesla is the “least-affected car company with respect to tariffs at least in most respects.”

Tesla reported troubling quarterly earnings and sales on Tuesday, including a 20% year-over-year drop in automotive revenue and a 71% plunge in net income. The company also said that it wasn’t providing any guidance for 2025 at least until its second-quarter update.

While Musk is one of President Donald Trump’s closest advisers, tariffs are the one issue where he’s partially broken with the administration. He recently called Peter Navarro, Trump’s top trade adviser, a “moron” and “dumber than a sack of bricks.”

On Tuesday’s call, however, Musk said, “If some country is doing something predatory with tariffs,” or “if a government is providing extreme financial support for a particular industry, then you have to do something to counteract that.”

Tesla’s stock price has been hammered since the president floated his plan for widespread tariffs earlier this month, and that was after the shares plunged 36% in the first quarter, their worst performance for any period since 2022.

Because Tesla manufactures cars that it sells in the U.S. domestically, the company isn’t subject to Trump’s 25% tariff on imported cars. But Tesla counts on materials and supplies from China, Mexico, Canada and elsewhere for manufacturing equipment, automotive glass, printed circuit boards, battery cells and other products.

Musk said he offers his advice to the president on tariffs.

“He will listen to my advice. But then it’s up to him, of course, to make his decision,” Musk said. “I’ve been on the record many times saying that I believe lower tariffs are generally a good idea.”

He added that he’s an advocate for “predictable tariff structures,” as well as “free trade and lower tariffs.”

Musk said Tesla’s energy business faces an “outsized” impact from tariffs because it sources lithium iron phosphate battery cells, used in his company’s cars, from China.

“We’re in the process of commissioning equipment for the local manufacturing of LFP battery cells in the U.S.,” he said. But he said the company can “only serve a fraction of our total installed capacity” with its local equipment.

“We’ve also been working on securing additional supply chain from non-china based suppliers, but it will take time,” he said.

Musk called Tesla the most “vertically integrated car company” but said that there are still plenty of parts and materials that come from other countries. Even though it’s built a lithium refinery in Texas, “we’re not growing rubber trees and mining iron yet,” he said.

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Tesla CEO Musk says time he spends on DOGE will drop ‘significantly’ next month

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Tesla CEO Musk says time he spends on DOGE will drop 'significantly' next month

Elon Musk, CEO of Tesla Inc., in the Oval Office of the White House in Washington, D.C., on Feb. 11, 2025.

Aaron Schwartz | Bloomberg | Getty Images

Tesla CEO Elon Musk began his company’s earnings call on Tuesday by saying that his time spent running President Donald Trump’s Department of Government Efficiency will drop “significantly” starting in May.

Musk, who has watched Tesla’s stock tumble by more than 40% this year, said he’ll continue to support the president with DOGE “to make sure that the waste and fraud that we stop does not come roaring back.”

After spending almost $300 million in the 2024 campaign to help return Trump to the White House, Musk created DOGE and joined the administration with a mission to drastically reduce the size and capability of the federal government.

He said he’ll continue to spend a “day or two per week” on government issues “for as long as the president would like me to do so.”

Musk’s commentary came after his company reported disappointing first-quarter results, including a 20% year-over-year slump in automotive revenue and 71% plunge in net income.

In addition to challenges the company already faced, such as competition out of China and an aging fleet of electric vehicles, Tesla has recently been hit with protests in the U.S. and Europe and brand damage due to Musk’s ties to Trump and his support of Germany’s far-right AfD party.

“The protests that you’ll see out there, they’re very organized,” Musk said on Tuesday’s call. He claimed, without evidence, that some people are likely protesting “because they’re receiving fraudulent money” or are “recipients of wasteful largesse.”

On its website, which was last updated on Sunday, DOGE says its cuts have led to an estimated $160 billion in savings. However, Musk’s estimates of savings have been challenged, and DOGE has deleted some of the largest purported savings.

Over that same stretch, Tesla has lost roughly $600 billion in market cap.

DOGE has also made cuts at agencies charged with oversight of his companies. They include the SEC, Federal Aviation Administration and National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.

The White House said in early February that Musk was serving as a “special government employee,” a designation with fewer requirements when it comes to conflict-of-interest disclosures and ethics policies.

The Department of Justice says the title is for anyone expected to work for the government for 130 days or less in a year. The Trump administration will hit its 130th day at the end of May.

Job cuts from DOGE’s work have come from across the government, at agencies including the Internal Revenue Service, National Park Service, Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, and the departments of Agriculture, Education, Energy, Health and Human Services, Homeland Security, and Veterans Affairs, according to the Associated Press.

As of February, staffers from DOGE had pushed top-ranking officials at the Department of Education out of their offices, rearranged the furniture and set up white noise machines to muffle their voices, according to employees at the agency. U.S. senators expressed concern that DOGE had possibly gained access to federal student loan data on tens of millions of borrowers.

Also in February, the Trump administration said that USAID would shut down as an independent agency and be moved under the State Department.

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