U.S. President Donald Trump stated on Tuesday (11) in a speech in front of the White House that protesters who commit violent acts against Tesla will be treated as domestic terrorists.
Donald Trump defended Tesla, Elon Musk’s company, and said on Tuesday (11) that he will treat attacks on the car manufacturer’s dealerships as domestic terrorism.
The U.S. president’s statement came after a series of protesters demonstrated against measures taken by the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), led by Musk.
DOGE fired and rehired employees in various federal government sectors, in addition to threatening to eliminate departments and cancel contracts for humanitarian programs.
Musk’s decisions triggered a wave of protests called the “Tesla takedown.” Some protesters went to the company’s dealerships to vandalize electric cars.
According to the BBC, about 350 protesters stormed a dealership in Portland, Oregon, while half a dozen people were arrested in New York earlier this month after a similar protest in front of a Tesla showroom.
Donald Trump stated in his speech that he will stop the vandals. “If we catch someone doing this, it’s because they are harming a great American company,” he said.
“We will catch them. Let me tell you something: if you do this to Tesla or any other company, we will catch you, and you will go through hell,” Donald Trump concluded.
This is sad. I was sent these photos from a Tesla owner. At 2am, individuals vandalized the Tesla Store in Bernalillo, NM.
This needs to stop. People are brainwashed. pic.twitter.com/xh67Oy3zS0
— Nic Cruz Patane (@niccruzpatane) February 9, 2025
Photos: X @WhiteHouse. This content was created with the help of AI and reviewed by the editorial team.
