President Donald Trump has said that attacks on Tesla dealerships will be considered domestic terrorism, and that those responsible will “go through hell.” His comments were made on Tuesday as a show of unwavering support for Tesla CEO Elon Musk, an ally of the administration.
Trump said while standing beside Musk, who was sporting a black “Make America Great Again” hat. The event, which was held to unveil a new Tesla model to the White House staff, came amid growing tensions between the automaker and activists who oppose Musk’s presence in the government.
Tesla’s stock rose nearly 4% on Tuesday, recovering from its biggest one-day decline in over four years. The bounce came after Musk stood alongside Trump, soothing concerns regarding the administration’s backing.
The protests, which have been dubbed as “Tesla Takedown,” erupted after Musk’s tenure as the head of the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), a program of the Trump administration aimed at reducing federal spending. Musk is blamed by critics for mass firings and the elimination of government-funded humanitarian initiatives.
The White House has reacted strongly to the protests. The White House Spokesperson Harrison Fields described the recent series of protests as “ongoing and heinous acts of violence against Tesla by radical Leftist activists” and termed them “nothing short of domestic terror.”
Anti-Tesla protests have grown in recent weeks. Approximately 350 protesters gathered outside a Portland, Oregon, Tesla store, and nine people were arrested at a similar protest in New York City. Vandalism cases on Tesla vehicles and showrooms are being investigated.
Leaders of the Tesla Takedown movement insist that their demonstrations are peaceful. In a social media post on Bluesky, the group dismissed the administration’s characterization.
“Peaceful protest on public property is not domestic terrorism. They are trying to intimidate us. We will not let them win,” the post stated, urging others to join their movement.
