Elon Musk has condemned the recent attacks on Tesla dealerships, calling the violence “insane and deeply wrong.”
Reacting to the latest incident in Las Vegas, where Tesla vehicles were set on fire, Musk wrote Tuesday on X: “Tesla just makes electric cars and has done nothing to deserve these evil attacks.”
This level of violence is insane and deeply wrong.
Tesla just makes electric cars and has done nothing to deserve these evil attacks. https://t.co/Fh1rcfsJPh— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) March 18, 2025RELATED STORIES
He also suggested on Sen. Ted Cruz’s podcast that “at least some of it is organized and paid for” by left-wing organizations backed by billionaire donors.
Beyond Las Vegas, Tesla showrooms, vehicle lots, charging stations, and privately owned cars have been targeted. The surge in attacks follows Musk’s role in the Trump administration’s Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), which is focused on cutting government spending.
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Experts say it remains unclear whether these incidents signal a long-term trend, AP reported.
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During Trump’s first term, his properties became hotspots for protest. Now, in his second term, Tesla appears to be taking that role. “Tesla is an easy target,” said Randy Blazak, a sociologist studying political violence. “They’re in our neighborhoods and on our streets.”
While critics have staged peaceful demonstrations at Tesla facilities across North America and Europe, others have resorted to destruction. In Colorado, a woman was charged for throwing Molotov cocktails at Tesla dealerships and spray-painting “Nazi cars” on a building. In South Carolina, federal agents arrested a man accused of setting fire to Tesla charging stations and found writings critical of DOGE in his possession.
Several high-profile incidents have occurred in left-leaning cities like Portland and Seattle. A man in Oregon allegedly firebombed a Tesla store in Salem and later returned to shoot out its windows. In Tigard, Oregon, bullets were fired at a Tesla showroom twice in one week. Earlier this month, four Cybertrucks were torched in Seattle, and just last Friday, an arsonist set fire to a Tesla Model S on a city street.
In Las Vegas, attackers set multiple Teslas ablaze outside a service center, spray-painting “resist” across the building’s doors. Authorities report Molotov cocktails were thrown, and gunfire was directed at the vehicles.
“Was this terrorism? Was it something else? It has hallmarks of politically motivated violence,” said Spencer Evans, special agent in charge of the Las Vegas FBI office.
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The White House has defended Musk, a key Trump administration figure and major donor. Trump has labeled the attacks “domestic terror” and warned perpetrators will “go through hell.” Attorney General Pam Bondi announced an investigation into potential organizers and funding sources behind the vandalism, vowing severe consequences.
Colin Clarke, a senior research fellow at the Soufan Center, noted that left-wing political violence generally targets property rather than people, adding that neo-Nazi groups currently pose a greater security threat.
Despite the hostility, many Tesla owners remain undeterred. Theresa Ramsdell, president of the Tesla Owners of Washington State, condemned the violence. “Hate on Elon and Trump all you want, but destroying property is not the answer,” she said. While someone recently stuck a “no Elon” sticker on her Cybertruck, she remains steadfast.
“I love my car. It’s the safest car,” Ramsdell said. “I’m not going to let someone else judge me for what I drive.”
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