President Donald Trump vowed on Friday that his administration would prosecute those who are involved in carrying out attacks on Teslas to the fullest extent of the law.
Trump made the remarks when asked about the attacks from far-Left extremists while he spoke to the media in the Oval Office after unveiling the world’s first sixth-generation fighter jet.
“These people are going to be caught and they’re going to be prosecuted,” Trump said. “And from what they tell me, I see this just by watching your programs and reading the news, but from what they tell me, they could get 20 years in jail, and they’ll get it. I’ll tell you, there’s going to be no leniency, and there’ll be no pardons.”
“I view these people as terrorists, just like others,” he continued. “These are, when I looked at those showrooms burning and those cars — not one or two, like seven, eight, ten, burning, exploding all over the place — these are terrorists.”
The president said that federal authorities are investigating who is financing extremists who are targeting the dealerships.
“It’s under very serious investigation by the FBI and by the Justice Department,” he said. “These people are terrorists.”
Earlier in the day, Trump suggested that they could be sent to El Salvador to be incarcerated there.
The worst bad guys are the ones who are financing the Tesla terror campaign pic.twitter.com/nHyn73wuuz
— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) March 21, 2025
Trump’s remarks come after U.S. Attorney General Pamela Bondi announced on Thursday that three individuals have been charged in connection with attacks on Tesla properties across the country.
“The days of committing crimes without consequence have ended,” Bondi said in a statement. “Let this be a warning: if you join this wave of domestic terrorism against Tesla properties, the Department of Justice will put you behind bars.”
The statement said that all three individuals, if convicted, face a mandatory minimum sentence of five years in prison and could end up facing two decades behind bars.
