President Donald Trump touted sending people who are attacking Tesla to prisons in El Salvador, amid multiple reports of arson and other violence against the automaker’s vehicles and showrooms.
Trump appears to be referencing a deal his administration made with El Salvador to deport Venezuelan gang members there from the U.S. to serve out their jail time. Rights groups have criticized the deal, citing harsh conditions in Salvadoran prisons.
“I look forward to watching the sick terrorist thugs get 20 year jail sentences for what they are doing to Elon Musk and Tesla,” Trump wrote Friday morning on his Truth Social platform.
“Perhaps they could serve them in the prisons of El Salvador, which have become so recently famous for such lovely conditions!”
Why it Matters
Musk, a close political ally and funder of Trump, is CEO of Tesla.
The billionaire’s relationship with Trump and his activity spearheading the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), which is slashing federal spending, made Tesla the focus of a backlash. Some Tesla shareholders are also worried about the situation.
The Trump Administration has said it views the violence against Tesla as domestic terrorism.
What to Know
U.S. President Donald Trump gets out of a Tesla Model S on the South Lawn of the White House on March 11, 2025 in Washington, DC. Trump spoke out against calls for a boycott of Elon Musk’s companies and said he would purchase a Tesla vehicle in what he calls a “show of confidence and support” for Elon Musk.
Andrew Harnik/Getty Images
On Tuesday, police in Las Vegas said they were investigating a suspected arson attack on multiple vehicles at a Tesla service center.
Police found several vehicles on fire and the word “Resist” was spray painted on the front doors of the business. The suspect is believed to have used Molotov cocktails and a firearm to conduct the attack.
While some of Musk’s opponents are lashing out violently, others are calling for a boycott of Tesla and holding protests outside its dealerships.
Trump has taken aim at those people, too.
The president defended Musk earlier in March, saying in a Truth Social post that he is “putting it on the line” to help the U.S. and doing “a FANTASTIC JOB”.
“But the Radical Left Lunatics, as they often do, are trying to illegally and collusively boycott Tesla, one of the World’s great automakers, and Elon’s ‘baby,’ in order to attack and do harm to Elon, and everything he stands for,” Trump wrote.
He pledged to buy a Tesla himself “as a show of confidence and support for Elon Musk, a truly great American.”
The next day, Trump and Musk appeared together at the White House along with a range of Tesla’s vehicles.
What People Are Saying
“The swarm of violent attacks on Tesla property is nothing short of domestic terrorism,” U.S. Attorney General Pamela Bondi said in a statement on Tuesday.
“The Department of Justice has already charged several perpetrators with that in mind, including in cases that involve charges with five-year mandatory minimum sentences.
“We will continue investigations that impose severe consequences on those involved in these attacks, including those operating behind the scenes to coordinate and fund these crimes.”
What’s Next
The attacks on Tesla are unlikely to slow in the short-term as Musk remains at the fore of American politics. But it’s clear the Trump Administration plans to crack down hard on perpetrators, so more arrests and charges should follow soon.
This is a developing story and more information will be added shortly.
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