At a recent White House event, President Donald Trump declared that he would label violence at Tesla locations such as dealerships and charging stations as domestic terrorism, following escalating violence against the company and its CEO, Elon Musk.
President Donald Trump has pledged to take decisive action against individuals who engage in violent acts targeting Tesla locations across the United States. The president’s comments came during a White House event where he stood alongside Tesla CEO and Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) head Elon Musk, promising to purchase a Tesla vehicle himself.
In recent weeks, protests against Musk have intensified at various Tesla locations, with reports of gunshots at a Tesla dealership and acts of vandalism directed at the company’s property. When questioned about the escalating violence, Trump responded, “I will do that. I’ll do it. I’m going to stop them. We catch anybody doing it… because they’re harming a great American company.”
Breitbart News has reported on multiple incidents of violent attacks on Tesla facilities, including a recent arson attack on a charging station in South Carolina:
The Post and Courier reports that in a bizarre incident that unfolded in North Charleston, South Carolina, a masked Trump hater vandalized and attempted to set fire to Tesla charging stations, only to end up setting himself ablaze in the process. The incident, which took place near a Mellow Mushroom pizzeria at 4855 Tanger Outlet Blvd., has left the community stunned and authorities searching for answers.
According to witnesses, the masked individual, wearing a gray jacket or hoodie, spray-painted the message “(expletive) TRUMP LONG LIVE UKRAINE” near the bank of Tesla charging stations before proceeding with his ill-fated attempt to destroy the electric vehicle chargers. The man reportedly used beer bottles as makeshift Molotov cocktails, setting them on fire and hurling them at three charging stations. However, during this act of arson, the man inadvertently set himself on fire, with witnesses reporting flames spreading across his back.
The president further emphasized his commitment to apprehending those responsible for the violence, stating, “We already know who some of them are, we’re gonna catch them. And they’re bad guys.” This strong stance against the perpetrators of these acts has raised concerns among some groups who argue that peaceful protests should not be conflated with domestic terrorism.
In response to Trump’s comments, a Bluesky account representing the Tesla Takedown movement issued a statement asserting their commitment to nonviolence. The statement read, “We are a nonviolent grassroots protest movement. We oppose violence and destruction of property. Peaceful protest on public property is not domestic terrorism. They are trying to intimidate us. We will not let them succeed.”
Lucas Nolan is a reporter for Breitbart News covering issues of free speech and online censorship.
