At a White House event where he reaffirmed his support for Tesla CEO Elon Musk, President Donald Trump vowed to classify violence at Tesla locations as domestic terrorism.
Over the past few weeks, protests against Musk, who also heads the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), have intensified.
Domestic Violence
Incidents of vandalism, including gunshots at a Tesla dealership, have raised concerns about security at Tesla facilities.
While standing beside Musk, Trump was asked about the growing unrest.
“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,” Trump declared.
The president further stated that authorities had already identified some of the individuals responsible.
“We already know who some of them are, we’re gonna catch them,” he said. “And they’re bad guys.”
His comments signaled a firm stance against those targeting Tesla, reinforcing his alliance with Musk, who has been a vocal supporter of the administration’s policies.
Tesla protesters fire back: “we are not Terrorists”
Following Trump’s remarks, a Bluesky account representing the Tesla Takedown movement issued a strong response, rejecting any association with violence.
“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,” the statement read.
The group also accused Trump of hypocrisy, pointing to his role in the events of January 6th.
“It’s ironic that Donald Trump wants to label our peaceful movement as domestic terrorism.
Tesla troubles
This is the man who sent a violent crowd to Capitol Hill to steal an election he lost, then pardoned more than 1,600 rioters who were found guilty by juries of their peers of serious crimes against the United States of America.”
As tensions continue to rise, the clash between Trump, Musk, and the protest movement underscores the deep political divide surrounding Tesla and its controversial CEO.
