Trump says people sabotaging Teslas may go to jail for ‘up to twenty years’

WASHINGTON: US President Donald Trump on Friday said that people who are caught sabotaging Tesla cars may stand a chance to go to jail for up to twenty years. He made the announcement in a post on Truth Social.

In a post onTruth Social, Trump wrote, “People that get caught sabotaging Teslas will stand a very good chance of going to jail for up to twenty years, and that includes the funders. WE ARE LOOKING FOR YOU!!!”

The statement by Trump comes after US Attorney General Pam Bondi has called the recent violent attacks on Tesla property “nothing short of domestic terrorism” and vowed to investigations that impose severe consequences on those involved in these attacks, including those operating behind the scenes to coordinate and fund these crimes.

In a statement, Bondi stated, “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,” she added.

DEVELOPING: Video provided to the Review-Journal shows several @Tesla vehicles engulfed in flames after Las Vegas police say they were set on fire by an individual early Tuesday morning.
UPDATES→ https://t.co/sZQr9j1E5A pic.twitter.com/uXeLsdpTVl

— Las Vegas Review-Journal (@reviewjournal) March 18, 2025

Bondi’s statement came after five Tesla vehicles were damaged when a fire erupted at a Tesla Collision Center in Las Vegas on Tuesday morning. The incident was the latest of such incidents aimed at the electric vehicle company, according to the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department, ABC News reported.

Since Tesla CEO Elon Musk started serving as head of the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), Tesla vehicles, dealerships and charging stations have been vandalised and faced protests in recent weeks.

Meanwhile, the US Department of Defence is set to brief Elon Musk on plans for a potential war with China, according to a report by The New York Times. The publication said that the access would be a major expansion of Elon Musk’s government role and highlight his conflicts of interest. It said that the billionaire chief executive of both SpaceX and Tesla is a leading supplier to the Pentagon and has extensive financial interests in China.

Musk was also the largest financial supporter of the US President during the presidential campaign. (ANI)