U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi echoed President Donald Trump, claiming that those who vandalize and violently attack Teslas are committing “domestic terrorism.”
Bondi, the former Florida Attorney General whom Trump nominated as the country’s next attorney general in November, made the remarks in a statement released Tuesday evening.
“The swarm of violent attacks on Tesla property is nothing short of domestic terrorism,” Bondi said in his statement.
According to Bondi, the Department of Justice has charged “several perpetrators” with attacking Teslas, including in cases involving five-year mandatory minimum sentences.
“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,” said the U.S. attorney general.
Activists have recently staged so-called “Tesla Takedown” protests to express their displeasure with Tesla CEO Elon Musk’s role in sweeping federal workforce cuts since Trump took office on January 20, according to Reuters.
Last week, while standing on the White House’s South Lawn with his senior advisor, Tesla CEO Elon Musk, Trump stated that he is considering labeling anyone who commits violence against Tesla owners and dealerships as “domestic terrorists.”
“I will do it.” “I’m going to stop them… because they’re harming a great American company,” Trump stated. “When you hurt an American company, especially a company like this that supplies so many jobs that others are unable to do.”
House DOGE Subcommittee Chairwoman Marjorie Taylor Greene, R-Ga., said last week that she and her committee colleagues wrote to Bondi and FBI Director Kash Patel, requesting an investigation into the “organized” attacks on Musk, Tesla, and the DOGE effort.
Trump and his administration’s support for Musk comes as Tesla stock continues to fall, dropping 50% since December. JPMorgan analysts blame the steep decline on the struggling EV market, a drop in global sales, and branding issues stemming from Musk’s political activities, including his role as the unofficial leader of DOGE, according to Business Insider.
According to NASDAQ, Tesla stock is trading at around $233 per share as of Wednesday morning, down approximately $127 from a month ago.
Tesla dealerships vandalized across the country
The backlash against Musk and his efforts with DOGE has impacted Tesla dealerships across the country, including Fort Lauderdale, where local police said 34 new Cybertrucks were damaged while in a parking lot and tagged with the message “(expletive) Elon,” according to WPLG.
Last month, federal authorities said they were looking into vandalism at a Tesla dealership in Loveland, Colorado. A person or people smashed windows, painted Cybertruck windshields with large red Xs, and attempted to start a fire.
Local media also reported that someone spray-painted “Nazi Cars” on vehicles at the dealership, claiming it was the third such attack in 2025. This week, Las Vegas police reported that Molotov cocktails and a gun were used to destroy Tesla vehicles during a “targeted attack” at a Tesla Collision Center.
Police believe the suspect fired at least three shots at the vehicles before igniting the fires with the improvised explosives.
The FBI’s Joint Terrorism Task Force has been called in to assist with the investigation, but it is “too early” to definitively classify the incident as a terrorist act, according to FBI Special Agent in Charge Spencer Evans during a briefing. However, he told reporters that the incident had “some of the hallmarks” of being classified as such.
“Violent acts like this are unacceptable, regardless of where they occur,” Evans told the audience. “This is a federal crime. We’ll come after you. “We will find you and prosecute you to the full extent of the law.”
