The U.S. Department of Justice announced severe charges this week against multiple individuals involved in a string of violent attacks targeting Tesla dealerships, charging stations, and privately owned Tesla vehicles across the country. Attorney General Pamela Bondi called the incidents "domestic terrorism" and vowed swift justice for those responsible.
President Trump has also spoken out, calling the Tesla attacks a form of "domestic terror" and warning of harsh consequences for those involved. "You touch a Tesla, you're going to go through hell," Trump warned.
A Nationwide Surge in Tesla Attacks
Over the past several months, multiple Tesla properties have been vandalized, set on fire, and even shot at in a politically motivated backlash against the company and its CEO, Elon Musk. Since President Trump's reelection and his appointment of Musk to slash wasteful federal spending through the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), Tesla has become a high-profile target for left-wing anarchists.
Tesla was once seen as a progressive symbol due to its focus on clean energy. But then Musk's personal political views shifted as he supported Trump's agenda to fix the U.S. government by hunting down waste, fraud, and abuse within the federal bureaucracy. Since then, activists and violent vandals have turned their animosity against the company, treating it as a political lightning rod.
Molotov Cocktails and Firebombed Cybertrucks
Attorney General Bondi revealed this week that federal authorities have now linked several high-profile arson attacks to individuals reportedly motivated by opposition to Musk's government role.
"The swarm of violent attacks on Tesla property is nothing short of domestic terrorism. The Department of Justice has already charged several perpetrators with that in mind, including in cases that involve charges with five-year mandatory minimum sentences," Bondi said.
- In Salem, Oregon, a man armed with a suppressed AR-15 was arrested after hurling eight Molotov cocktails at a Tesla dealership, setting vehicles ablaze.
- In Loveland, Colorado, another suspect attempted to ignite Tesla cars and was later found with additional incendiary materials.
- In Charleston, South Carolina, a man defaced Tesla charging stations with anti-Trump graffiti before using Molotov cocktails to set them on fire.
Similar incidents have been reported in Seattle, Portland, Las Vegas, and New York, with Tesla showrooms, service centers, and even privately owned vehicles being targeted. In some cases, vandals targeted the electric vehicle company by spray-painting slogans such as "Nazi cars" and "Resist" on Tesla buildings before setting them alight.
Tesla Sites Firebombed, X Hit with Major Cyberattack as Musk Aims to Cut Wasteful Gov't Spendinghttps://t.co/qLTjioMc3w
— The 700 Club (@700club) March 12, 2025
Tesla's recently released Cybertruck has become a particular focus of destruction, with at least four vehicles torched in a Tesla lot in Seattle earlier this month.
Federal Authorities Crack Down
Bondi has since made it clear that the federal government will aggressively pursue those responsible for these dangerous attacks.
"The days of committing crimes without consequence have ended," Bondi declared. "If you join this wave of domestic terrorism against Tesla properties, the Department of Justice will put you behind bars."
Each of the newly charged defendants faces a minimum of five years and up to 20 years in prison. Bondi also hinted at a broader investigation into the funding and coordination of these attacks, raising the possibility that additional charges could be brought against anyone caught supporting or organizing the violence.
"We will continue investigations that impose severe consequences on those involved in these attacks, including those operating behind the scenes to coordinate and fund these crimes," Bondi said.
Political and Social Impact
The Tesla attacks are being seen as part of a broader cultural shift, where the apolitical company has become a proxy battleground in America's deepening political divide.
Musk, who has downplayed concerns about the attacks in the past, recently took to his social media platform X to condemn the violence. "This level of violence is insane and deeply wrong," he wrote. "Tesla just makes electric cars and has done nothing to deserve these evil attacks."
Musk also suggested that some of the attacks were "organized and paid for" by left-wing organizations, though he did not cite specific evidence.
For now, law enforcement agencies nationwide are on high alert, bracing for the possibility that the wave of violence against the automaker may not yet be over.
Tesla's stock price has fluctuated in response to the violence, and some rattled Tesla drivers have even resorted to placing disclaimer bumper stickers on their vehicles that slam the billionaire innovator as "crazy," hoping to deter potential vandals.
Before joining the Trump administration, Elon Musk was widely lauded as a highly successful inventor and entrepreneur who has created multiple ground-breaking companies such as SpaceX, Tesla, Neuralink, The Boring Company, OpenAI, PayPal, and the charitable Musk Foundation.
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