President Donald Trump said he would classify violence against Tesla dealerships as domestic terrorism, a transcript shared during a White House press briefing that showed his deepening relationship with Elon Musk.
"Tesla Takeover" has broken out at Tesla dealerships around the world, with people protesting Musk and his Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE)'s sabotage of the federal government. Some protests have resulted in graffiti being painted on Tesla signs, charging stations being set on fire and even someone throwing Molotov cocktails in a dealership parking lot.
The protests and vandalism occurred as Tesla's stock price took a beating, falling below the price it surged after Trump won the presidential election in November 2024, and also underperforming the overall stock market during the same period. Tesla's global sales have also plummeted as the brand has been affected by Musk's political behavior.
"I'm going to stop them," Trump said of people who commit violence on Tesla property. He spoke with Musk at the White House on Tuesday. "We will catch anyone who does this because they are damaging a great American company."
"Let me tell you," Trump continued. "You do this to Tesla, you do this to any company, we will catch you and you will go to hell."
Under federal law, attacks on corporate property may be considered domestic terrorism if the intent is to intimidate or coerce civilians, affect government property, or influence government action through sabotage, assassination, or kidnapping.
The risk going forward is how Trump and Musk define violence, and whether peaceful protesters will be labeled violent in the future. Trump has promised to deport international students who protest Israel's war in Gaza, making it possible that people with green cards or visas in the United States would be subject to the same threat for protesting against Tesla.
Since Trump issued an executive order in January establishing DOGE, an advisory committee responsible for cutting government spending, Musk has donated $260 million to a super PAC that elected Trump. Musk reportedly oversaw widespread government staff layoffs and eliminated entire agencies such as the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID), creating an environment of anger, fear and chaos in the federal government.
Musk's critics point out that his company benefits directly from government contracts and incentives. SpaceX alone has received more than $20 billion in contracts from NASA, the Department of Defense and other federal agencies, according to USASpending.gov.
Trump said on Tuesday that he would buy a Tesla car that he would "not be allowed" to drive himself, but would be used by White House staff.
"I think he was treated very unfairly by a small group of people," Trump said, according to Pool. "I just want people to know that he can't be punished for being a patriot."