Topline
Attorney General Pam Bondi announced charges against three people responsible for vandalizing and destroying Tesla cars, dealerships or charging stations Thursday afternoon and warned others against joining “this wave of domestic terrorism against Tesla properties.”
People protesting Elon Musk’s actions in the Trump administration hold signs outside a Tesla … More showroom in Seattle on Thursday, Feb. 13, 2025. (AP Photo/Manuel Valdes, File)
Key Facts
Charges were announced against a person arrested in Oregon for throwing Molotov cocktails at a Tesla dealership, a person in Colorado arrested for trying to light Teslas on fire with Molotov cocktails and a person in South Carolina who lit a charging station on fire with Molotov cocktails and “wrote profane messages against President Trump around Tesla charging stations.”
In a statement Tuesday, Bondi said “the swarm of violent attacks on Tesla property is nothing short of domestic terrorism.”
Bondi said all three defendants face serious charges carrying a minimum of five years and up to 20 years in prison.
In the release announcing the charges, Bondi said all defendants “will face the full force of the law” and anyone else who commits similar crimes will be put behind bars.
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Crucial Quote
Shortly after the charges were announced Thursday, Musk quote-tweeted a post on X about the vandalism and said: “Has there ever been such a level of coordinated violence against a peaceful company? I understand not wanting to buy a product, but this is extreme arson and destruction!”
Key Background
The FBI said it was investigating acts of vandalism against Tesla stores, vehicles and charges as a protest against Musk and the Department of Government Efficiency in recent weeks. Musk has been critical of people vandalizing and destroying Teslas and associated property, and earlier this week he said an attack on a Las Vegas facility was “deranged.” The first reported attack was on Jan. 20, the day President Donald Trump was inaugurated, in Salem, Oregon, when a man reportedly threw Molotov cocktails at Tesla vehicles, which began a fire harming one car. Since then attacks have been reported in Loveland, Colorado; Baltimore; Littleton, Massachusetts; Tigard, Oregon; North Charleston, South Carolina; Seattle, and more.
Is Musk Still Running Tesla?
Yes. Earlier in March, Musk told Fox Business he was running his various businesses—including Tesla, SpaceX and X, formerly known as Twitter—“with great difficulty” while he has been informally leading DOGE under President Donald Trump. The comment came as Tesla shares fell to a five-month low, dropping 15% in just one day on March 10. In a note Thursday, Dan Ives, a Wedbush analyst, said Musk needs to change course and declared Tesla in “crisis.” Ives said Musk spending “110%” of his time on his White House role with DOGE has “essentially turned Tesla into a political symbol,” which is a “bad thing.”
What Else Has Musk Said About The Tesla Vandalism?
Musk has repeatedly criticized the vandalism. On Tuesday, he posted on X that “This level of violence is insane and deeply wrong. Tesla just makes electric cars and has done nothing to deserve these evil attacks.” He has also suggested the violence is organized, saying on Sen. Ted Cruz’s podcast on Monday “at least some of it is organized and paid for” by “left-wing organizations in America, funded by left-wing billionaires, essentially,” the Associated Press reported. Shortly after the charges from the DOJ were announced, Musk said on X “Tesla has ramped up security and activated Sentry Mode on all vehicles at stores.”
Forbes Valuation
We estimate Musk, CEO of Tesla, has a net worth of about $327.5 billion, making him the wealthiest person in the world, as of Thursday just before 2 p.m. EDT.
Further Reading
Tesla Protests And Vandalism Surge: FBI Says It’s Investigating Incidents—Including Las Vegas Fires (Forbes)
‘Crisis Forming’ At Tesla As Elon Musk Dedicates Himself To DOGE, Bullish Analyst Warns (Forbes)
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