Attorney General Pam Bondi on Tuesday labeled the violent streak of vandalism against Tesla vehicles and showrooms as “domestic terrorism” — an issue Democrats have rallied against for years. Fox News Digital asked 13 Democrats who sponsored legislation to combat domestic terrorism if they agreed with Bondi’s distinction. None of the lawmakers responded.
The FBI’s Joint Terrorism Task Force is investigating the ongoing Tesla attacks across the U.S. From Oregon to Massachusetts, Tesla cars and facilities have been vandalized in at least seven locations. What began as protests against Elon Musk and his Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) have escalated into violent incidents, including shots fired at a building, destroyed dealership windows and charging stations set on fire.
Former President Joe Biden’s administration launched the first-ever National Strategy for Countering Domestic Terrorism in 2021, identifying domestic terrorism as a major national security threat, particularly in the aftermath of the U.S. Capitol attacks on Jan. 6. Congressional Democrats led their own legislative efforts to combat domestic terrorism during the Biden administration.
Sen. Dick Durbin, D-Ill., and 10 Senate Democrats introduced the Domestic Terrorism Prevention Act of 2023, which was designed to enhance the government’s ability to prevent domestic terrorism. The Domestic Terrorism Prevention Act of 2022 also targeted domestic terrorism, with a focus on combating “white supremacist and neo-Nazi infiltration.”
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Democrats have refused to condemn the Tesla attacks despite rallying against “domestic terrorism” during the Biden administration. (AP | Getty | Storyful)
Despite Democrats leading activism against domestic terrorism during the Biden administration, the Democratic response to the ongoing Tesla attacks has been noticeably silent. One Democrat, Rep. Ro Khanna, D-Calif., urged his colleagues to condemn the Tesla vandalism in an X post last week.
“There is zero tolerance for acts of vandalism against Tesla. Spraying the words “nazi cars” or lighting fire to dealership and chargers is wrong. Period. All Democrats should condemn it,” he said.
While now refusing to condemn Tesla vandalism, Democrats have not missed an opportunity to vocalize their opposition to domestic terrorism in the past.
“As I have said on many occasions, I condemn all violence, regardless of ideology,” Durbin said in 2023 while urging colleagues to support the Domestic Terrorism Prevention Act.
“We have to act decisively to address the poison of white supremacy and domestic terrorism in America. It’s a poison, it’s a cancer, it’s destroying our society. It shouldn’t be a partisan issue. It’s not a Democratic issue or Republican issue, dealing with the crisis of violent white supremacy. It is an American issue,” House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, D-N.Y., said in 2022.
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“We are deeply concerned about the financing of domestic violent extremist activities in the U.S.,” Rep. Maxine Waters, D-Calif.; former Sen. Sherrod Brown, D-Ohio; and former Rep. Josh Gottheimer, D-N.J., said in 2022 while calling for a review into how domestic extremists are funded.
Waters is yet to call for an investigation into how Tesla protests are being funded as many conservatives are pointing the finger at liberal activist groups, including Musk, who recently blamed left-wing billionaire George Soros, billionaire Democratic mega-donor and LinkedIn co-founder Reid Hoffman and others, claiming they are bankrolling the destructive “protests.”
In 2021, Sen. Adam Schiff, D-Calif., said in a Facebook post, “Domestic terrorism is one of the gravest threats to America.”
“When violence fueled by homegrown, hateful ideology poses a more immediate threat to the safety and security of Americans on American soil than an international terrorist organization, it’s time for our laws to catch up,” Schiff said in 2019.
Rep. Pramila Jayapal, D-Wash., said last summer following the first assassination attempt on President Donald Trump that “all political violence” should be condemned, adding she was the victim of political violence herself.
Following the New Year’s Day terrorist attack in New Orleans, Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., said on X: “We must do more to fight terrorism at home and abroad.”
Rep. Alexandria Ocasio Cortez, D-N.Y., demanded accountability in 2022 for those who perpetrate White supremacy, which is considered a form of domestic terrorism.
“White supremacy has cost countless lives from El Paso to Mother Emanuel and now Buffalo. Our hearts break for the victims. And we demand accountability for those in Congress and in social media that perpetrate this deadly ideology,” she said on X after questioning Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg.
Late-night host Jimmy Kimmel seemed to mock Tesla vandalism during his show on Tuesday.
“People have been vandalizing Tesla vehicles, new Tesla vehicles. Please, don’t vandalize, don’t ever vandalize Tesla vehicles,” Kimmel said, pausing and looking into the camera for a dramatic pause as the audience laughed.
A conservative social media account posted the clip and said: “Jimmy Kimmel wants more Tesla attacks.”
“He’s such an unfunny jerk,” Musk replied to the post.
Late-night host Jimmy Kimmel Late-night host seemed to mock the vandalism of Tesla property on Tuesday after he mentioned Tesla’s “disastrous” stock price drop. (Randy Holmes/ABC via Getty Images)
Bondi on Tuesday said that the Tesla attacks are “nothing short of domestic terrorism” and the Department of Justice has already made several charges.
“The swarm of violent attacks on Tesla property is nothing short of domestic terrorism. 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,” Bondi said in a statement.
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President Donald Trump arrives with Attorney General Pam Bondi to speak at the Justice Department in Washington, D.C., on Friday. (Pool via AP)
While no serious injuries have been reported, anti-Musk cyberattackers posted an interactive map of Tesla owners’ names, addresses, phone numbers and e-mails. Bondi told Fox News’ Will Cain on Wednesday that the Justice Department believes the attacks are part of an organized effort.
“We are coming after you,” Bondi said on “The Will Cain Show.” “We believe these are organizers, and these are not individuals out there throughout the country doing this on their own. They’re targeting Tesla owners. They’re targeting Tesla dealerships. They’re targeting Elon Musk, who is out there trying to save our country. And it will not be tolerated. We are coming after you. We will find you. And if you are an organized group who is funding this, we’re going to find you, too. You better look out, and you better stop it.”
Violence against Tesla car owners and facilities has skyrocketed over the past few weeks, as anti-Elon Musk protesters continue to vandalize and destroy electric vehicles in a violent string of crimes against the Trump ally’s company.
Five Tesla vehicles were set on fire and shot at in what police are investigating as a “targeted attack” at a local repair center in Las Vegas on Tuesday. (Hal Sparks via Storyful)
Videos circulating on social media show footage of individuals spitting on, keying or setting ablaze Tesla vehicles across the country. “Smile, you’re on camera,” Tesla wrote Thursday in a post on X, revealing that there are “at least 7 cameras all around each of our cars” capturing the crime.
One victim, Avi Ben Hamo, a Jewish man from New York, recently called for hate crime charges against a man who he caught drawing a Nazi symbol on his Cybertruck.
White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt denounced the “heinous violence” against Tesla and called on Democrats to condemn the attacks.
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“Democrats were big supporters of Tesla and of electric vehicles until Elon Musk decided to vote for Donald Trump. So we would like Democrats to also come out and condemn this heinous violence that we have seen,” Leavitt said during a press briefing on Wednesday. “And I believe the attorney general has said she’s investigating these incidents as acts of domestic terrorism.”
Three individuals were charged in federal cases after they used Molotov cocktails to violently attack Tesla properties around the country in acts of “domestic terrorism,” Bondi announced Thursday.
“The days of committing crimes without consequence have ended,” Bondi said. “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.”
Fox News Digital’s Emma Woodhead and Peter D’Abrosca contributed to this report.
