Edgar Lee
On March 11, when asked about vandalism against Tesla dealerships, President Trump said “I will [classify vandals as domestic terrorists]. I’ll do it. I’m going to stop them… 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 statement was given at a Tesla showcase event held at the South Lawn of the White House, during which Trump and Tesla CEO Elon Musk displayed several Tesla vehicles, discussing the features of each one while answering questions from reporters. Earlier that day, Trump posted that he was going to buy a Tesla “as a show of confidence and support for Elon Musk.”
Critics have considered these acts to be a violation of federal ethics law Title 5 C.F.R. § 2635.702, which prohibits federal employees from using their public office “for the endorsement of any product, service, or enterprise.” A letter regarding the violation was sent to the Office of Government Ethics signed by four senators requesting that an investigation be carried out regarding whether or not Trump and Musk violated ethics laws.
On Friday (03/14), Attorney General Pam Bondi announced that she had opened an investigation regarding vandalism against Tesla dealerships in order to persecute vandals and anyone funding them.
This attention comes after widespread protests against Tesla and vandalism of Tesla vehicles and dealerships following Musk’s close cooperation with the Trump administration as a leading figure of the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) and senior advisor to Trump. Since Trump’s inauguration, DOGE has laid off thousands of federal employees. Over a dozen acts of vandalism have been reported over the past few weeks, with two Tesla dealerships being shot at in Oregon and several dealerships and charging stations set on fire across the country.
Over 80 demonstrations were held on Saturday (03/15) and many are scheduled up to April worldwide as a part of the “Tesla Takedown” boycott campaign, which describes itself as a “peaceful protest movement” that opposes “violence, vandalism and destruction of property.”
This positive display of Tesla from Trump is a noticeable switch-up from Trump’s opinion of electric cars before Musk’s backing of his campaign, with him posting on Christmas Day 2023 “…All Electric Car Lunacy, and so much more, are looking to destroy our once great USA. MAY THEY ROT IN HELL.”
With growing repression, we will not see a decrease in popular unrest but rather an increase, as the contradiction between monopoly capital and those opposed to it sharpens. The masses have always fought, no matter how repressive the enemy is.
Photo: Tesla charging stations on fire in Littleton Massachusetts, March 4. Credit: Littleton Fire Department.
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