Attacks on Tesla are domestic terrorism, U.S. Attorney General says

U.S. Attorney General Pamela Bondi on Tuesday evening said a spate of recent attacks on Tesla properties constitutes domestic terrorism. The Department of Justice has already charged several perpetrators, including some with five-year minimum sentences, she said. The department will continue investigating the crimes and will hold those who helped plan and fund attacks responsible as well, Bondi said.

To date, no one has been injured in the attacks, but perpetrators have torched, vandalized, and shot at Tesla lots, charging stations, and showrooms. Directors of a Vancouver car show recently removed Tesla from their event, citing safety concerns.

Separately, peaceful demonstrations have also taken place outside dozens of Tesla locations across the country and in Europe.

What happened?

• Several incidents of fire and vandalism at a Loveland, Colo., dealership

• Tesla charging lots near Charleston, S.C., and Boston set on fire

• Shots fired in two instances at an Oregon dealership near Portland, extensively damaging cars and property

• Cybertrucks vandalized at a Washington state dealership

• Cars shot and set on fire with Molotov cocktails at a Las Vegas Tesla collision center

What are the alleged motives for the attacks? Tesla founder Elon Musk is unpopular with many Americans after advising the Department of Government Efficiency to make aggressive cuts to many sectors of government. Several instances of vandalism at dealerships included graffiti branding him a Nazi and criticizing the Trump administration’s relationship with Ukraine.

How has Trump reacted to the situation? White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt on Wednesday called the attacks despicable during the White House news briefing. She went on to point out that Tesla is an America-based company and the attacks hurt Tesla’s employees. Trump also said the perpetrators were domestic terrorists and promised severe punishment during a March 11 event at the White House, the BBC reported. At the event, he displayed Teslas on the White House lawn and bought one. He previously posted that leftist boycotts intended to harm Elon Musk were responsible for falling Tesla sales.