President Donald Trump announced on Tuesday that acts of violence against Tesla dealerships will be classified as domestic terrorism, vowing that perpetrators will “go through hell.”
This comes amid escalating protests and incidents targeting Tesla, Inc., and its CEO, Elon Musk, following Musk’s appointment as head of the newly established Department of Government Efficiency.
Tesla shares rose nearly 4% on Tuesday after rebounding from their steepest one-day drop in over four years.
This recovery followed President Donald Trump’s appearance with Musk at the White House, where he selected a new Tesla vehicle for his staff.
The “Tesla Takedown” protests have emerged as a response to Musk’s role in large-scale federal workforce cuts and the cancellation of humanitarian program funding under President Donald Trump.
Activists have staged demonstrations, including in New York, where a viral protest sign urged people to “put dog poop in a Cybertruck.”
Musk is leading the Trump administration’s newly created.
At the White House, President Trump condemned the Tesla Takedown protesters, stating, “They’re harming a great American company.”
Standing beside him, Musk wore a black “Make America Great Again” cap, signaling his alignment with Trump’s administration and policies.
Trump added, “Let me tell you, you do it to Tesla, and you do it to any company, we’re going to catch you, and you’re going to go through hell.”
The Tesla Takedown protests have intensified, with about 350 demonstrators gathering outside a Tesla dealership in Portland, Oregon, last week. Earlier in March, a New York City protest outside a Tesla dealership turned chaotic, leading to nine arrests.
In addition to protests, there have been media reports of vandalism targeting Tesla vehicles and showrooms, which are now under investigation.
White House spokesperson Harrison Fields said “ongoing and heinous acts of violence against Tesla by radical Leftist activists are nothing short of domestic terror”.
