Following a series of destructive activities against Tesla, US President Donald Trump issued a warning on his Truth Social that anyone found guilty of participating, or sponsoring, such activities could face up to twenty years in prison.
Tesla has been facing the wrath of people due to its CEO, Elon Musk, used his authority as the de facto head of Department of Government Efficiency to fire thousands of government workers. Some people against Musk are even committing arson.
Three individuals in Oregon, Colorado, and South Carolina were arrested and accused of using or trying to use Molotov cocktails to burn Tesla cars and charging stations.
Trump, who has been an ally with Musk to the point of displaying Tesla cars at the White House earlier this month to help shore up its stock, stated that he will punish those who commit violent attacks on the company severely and even ready to deem them “terrorists.”
The US Attorney General, Pam Bondi, announced on Thursday that the three defendants will face “severe charges.” The Department of Justice also added that they could receive a penalty of 20 years in prison.
Bondi also used this statement as a warning to those who want to join “this wave of domestic terrorism.” However, based on the term in US criminal code, American citizens cannot be charged with “domestic terrorism.”
Besides the violence, there is a peaceful movement called “Tesla Takedown.” They encouraged a boycott on the company. With the market downturn and heavy pressure by opposition against Elon Musk, the share price of Tesla suffered the largest drop in five years last week. In this past month alone, a third of Tesla value is now gone.
As for Musk’s reaction, he painted himself and his company as innocent victims and posted his comment on his X account. He also mentions the increased security and the cameras on all Tesla’s vehicles that help identify the saboteur.
