By Steve Neavling
The FBI has formed a task force to investigate recent attacks on Tesla properties, FBI Director Kash Patel announced Monday on the social media site X.
“This is domestic terrorism,” Patel said. “Those responsible will be pursued, caught, and brought to justice.”
The task force will work alongside the ATG and marks the latest effort by the Trump administration to use federal power to support Elon Musk’s electric vehicle company.
The announcement came just hours after multiple “incendiary” devices were discovered at a Tesla dealership in Austin, Texas. Last week, three people were charged with allegedly destroying Tesla property.
Trump, who has increasingly rallied behind Musk and his companies, has floated the idea of sending anti-Tesla protesters to a notorious prison in El Salvador if they’re convicted.
Tesla has become a lightning rod in the ongoing culture war surrounding Trump and the MAGA movement. The company’s sales slumped in the first quarter, with delivery projections falling more than 4%. Its stock price has also declined.
Protesters have staged #TeslaTakedown demonstrations at dealerships across the country, calling attention to Musk’s support for sweeping federal workforce cuts tied to his Dogecoin-linked influence over the administration. Organizers have urged people to sell their vehicles and dump their Tesla stock.
