SEATTLE (AP) 鈥� Cybertrucks set ablaze. Bullets and Molotov cocktails aimed at Tesla showrooms.
Attacks on property carrying the logo of electric-car company are cropping up across the U.S. and overseas. While no injuries have been reported, Tesla showrooms, vehicle lots, charging stations and privately owned cars have been targeted.
There's been a clear uptick since President took office and empowered Musk to oversee a new Department of Government Efficiency that's . Experts on domestic extremism say it's impossible to know yet if the spate of incidents will balloon into a long-term pattern.
In Trump鈥檚 first term, his properties in New York, Washington and elsewhere became a natural place for protest. In the early days of his second term, Tesla is filling that role.
鈥淭esla is an easy target,鈥� said Randy Blazak, a sociologist who studies political violence. 鈥淭hey鈥檙e rolling down our streets. They have dealerships in our neighborhoods.鈥�
Musk critics have organized at Tesla dealerships and factories across North America and Europe. Some Tesla owners, who feuded with Musk, have vowed to sell their vehicles.
But the attacks are keeping law enforcement busy.
Prosecutors in Colorado last month in connection with attacks on Tesla dealerships, including and the words 鈥淣azi cars鈥� spray-painted on a building.
And federal agents in South Carolina last week arrested a man they say set fire to Tesla charging stations near Charleston. An agent from the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives wrote in an affidavit that authorities found writings critical of the government and DOGE in his bedroom and wallet.
鈥淭he statement made mention of sending a message based on these beliefs,鈥� the agent wrote.
Some of the most prominent incidents have been reported in left-leaning cities in the Pacific Northwest, like , and Seattle, where anti-Trump and anti-Musk sentiment runs high.
An Oregon man faces charges after allegedly throwing several Molotov cocktails at a Tesla store in Salem, then returning another day and shooting out windows. In the Portland suburb of Tigard, more than a dozen bullets were fired at a Tesla showroom last week, damaging vehicles and windows, the second time in a week that the store was targeted.
Four Cybertrucks were in a Tesla lot earlier this month. On Friday, witnesses reported a man poured gasoline on an unoccupied Tesla Model S and started a fire on a Seattle street.
In Las Vegas, several Tesla vehicles were set ablaze early Tuesday outside a Tesla service center where the word 鈥渞esist鈥� was also painted in red across the building鈥檚 front doors. Authorities said at least one person threw Molotov cocktails 鈥� crude bombs filled with gasoline or another flammable liquid 鈥� and fired several rounds from a weapon into the vehicles.
鈥淲as this terrorism? Was it something else? It certainly has some of the hallmarks that we might think 鈥� the writing on the wall, potential political agenda, an act of violence,鈥� Spencer Evans, the special agent in charge of the Las Vegas FBI office, said at a news conference. 鈥淣one of those factors are lost on us.鈥�
Tesla becomes a target for the left
Tesla was once the darling of the left. Helped to viability by a $465 million federal loan during the Obama administration, the company popularized electric vehicles and proved, despite their early reputation, that they didn鈥檛 have to be small, stodgy, underpowered and limited in range.
More recently, though, Musk has with the right. He bought the social network Twitter, renamed it X and erased restrictions that had infuriated conservatives. He spent an estimated $250 million to boost Trump鈥檚 2024 Republican campaign, becoming by far his biggest benefactor.
Musk continues to run Tesla 鈥� and 鈥� while also serving as Trump鈥檚 adviser.
Tesla stock doubled in value in the weeks after Trump鈥檚 election but has since shed all those gains.
Trump gave a boost to the company when he into an electric-vehicle showroom. He promoted the vehicles and said he would purchase an $80,000 Model S, eschewing his of electric vehicles.
Tesla didn't respond to a request for comment. Musk briefly addressed the vandalism Monday during an appearance on Sen. Ted Cruz鈥檚 podcast, saying 鈥渁t least some of it is organized and paid for鈥� by 鈥渓eft-wing organizations in America, funded by left-wing billionaires, essentially.鈥�
鈥淭his level of violence is insane and deeply wrong,鈥� Musk on X, sharing a video of burning Teslas in Las Vegas. 鈥淭esla just makes electric cars and has done nothing to deserve these evil attacks.鈥�
The progressive group Indivisible, which published a guide for supporters to organize 鈥淢usk Or Us鈥� protests around the country, said in a statement that all of its guidance is publicly available and 鈥渋t explicitly encourages peaceful protest and condemns any acts of violence or vandalism.鈥�
Some Tesla owners have resorted to cheeky bumper stickers to distance themselves from their vehicle鈥檚 new stigma and perhaps deter would-be vandals. They say things like 鈥淚 bought this before we knew Elon was crazy鈥� or 鈥淚 just wanted an electric car. Sorry guys.鈥�
Prices for used Cybertrucks, Tesla鈥檚 most distinctive product, have dropped nearly 8% since Trump took office, according to CarGurus, which aggregates used-car vehicle listings. The market as a whole remained steady over the period.
The White House vows a crackdown
The White House has thrown its weight behind Musk, the highest-profile member of Trump's administration and a key donor to committees promoting Trump's political interests. Trump has said Tesla vandalism amounts to 鈥渄omestic terror,鈥� and Trump has threatened retribution, warning that those who target the company are 鈥済oing to go through hell.鈥�
Attorney General Pam Bondi said she鈥檇 opened an investigation 鈥渢o see how is this being funded, who is behind this.鈥�
鈥淚f you鈥檙e going to touch a Tesla, go to a dealership, do anything, you better watch out because we鈥檙e coming after you,鈥� Bondi said Friday on Fox Business Network. In a statement Tuesday, she vowed to 鈥渃ontinue investigations that impose severe consequences,鈥� including for 鈥渢hose operating behind the scenes to coordinate and fund these crimes.鈥�
Colin Clarke, a senior research fellow at the Soufan Center, said left-wing political violence tends to target property rather than people. He views the rise of neo-Nazi groups as a bigger security threat at this point.
鈥淚t鈥檚 not the type of act that I would prioritize,鈥� Clarke said. 鈥淣ot right now compared to all the other threats that are out there.鈥�
Theresa Ramsdell is the president of the Tesla Owners of Washington state, a club for Tesla enthusiasts, and she and her husband own three of them.
鈥淗ate on Elon and Trump all you want 鈥� that鈥檚 fine and dandy, it鈥檚 your choice,鈥� she said. 鈥淚t doesn鈥檛 justify ruining somebody鈥檚 property, vandalizing it, destroying it, setting it on fire. There鈥檚 other ways to get your voice heard that鈥檚 more effective.鈥�
Someone recently slapped a 鈥渘o Elon鈥� sticker on the tailgate of her Cybertruck, but she said she doesn鈥檛 intend to stop driving her Teslas. Other club members have taken a similar view, she said.
鈥淚 love my car. It鈥檚 the safest car,鈥� Ramsdell said. 鈥淚鈥檓 not going to let somebody else judge me for the car I drive.鈥�
___
Cooper reported from Phoenix.
Jonathan J. Cooper And Gene Johnson, The Associated Press
