Donald Trump has vowed there will no be "no leniency" on vandals protesting against Tesla - and Elon Musk's role in the US government.
US safety regulars have recalled almost all Cybertrucks due to a "dangerous road hazard" that involves an exterior panel that could detach while driving.
However, Musk himself has also attracted a lot of criticism since becoming DOGE lead, vowing mass layoffs that were responded to so negatively that he admitted he had fears of being assassinated.
Recent weeks have seen dealerships around the globe spray painted, and cars set on fire using molotov cocktails, with Las Vegas's Collision Center being sprayed the word 'Resist' across its windows.
Trump brands Tesla vandals 'terrorists' - and compares protests to Jan 6Getty
Attorney general Pam Bondi described the destruction as “nothing short of domestic terrorism” and promised to “impose severe consequences on those involved in these attacks, including those operating behind the scenes to coordinate and fund these crimes.”
Ironically, this comes after Trump issued mass pardons for more than 1,000 January 6 rioters who stormed the Capitol - but insists that those targeting Tesla are "terrorists".
"These people are going to be caught and they're going to be prosecuted ...from what they tell me, they could get 20 years in jail, and they'll get it", Donald Trump told a press conference when quizzed on the incident.
"There's going to be no leniency, there'll be no pardons I can tell you that right now", he continued, before comparing it to January 6.
"I view these people as terrorists... I looked at those showrooms burning... you didn't have that on January 6", he said.
"Nobody was killed [on Jan 6] other than a beautiful young woman, Ashli Babbitt, nobody was killed, and you look at what's going on now with these terrorists...these are terrorists.
"The people who finance it in my opinion are in just as big of trouble as the people that are setting the match."
Musk himself responded to the statement, adding in a post on X: "The worst bad guys are the ones who are financing the Tesla terror campaign".
So far there have been unspecified charges against three people.
Indy100 have reached out to Tesla and Elon Musk for comment.
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