Donald Trump vowed to label people who vandalize Tesla vehicles as “domestic terrorists” on Tuesday, as he gave reporters what appeared to be part-press conference, part car commercial.
The president appeared outside the White House alongside Elon Musk, hailing Tesla as “a great American company” and said that those who messed with it would be put “through hell.”
During the photo-op-turned-briefing, which took place in front of several Tesla models and a Cybertruck, Trump addressed reports that vehicles all over the country had been targeted since he and Musk returned to office.
Tesla facilities and individual owners across the U.S have reported seeing an increase in vandalism and arson attempts against the vehicles. Repeated incidents occurred at a Tesla store and service center in Loveland, Colorado, the most recent of which occurred on Friday, according to CNBC.
Asked about reports that some believed the vandals should be labeled domestic terrorists, the president replied: “I'll do it. I'm going to stop them… because they're harming a great American company. I've stuck up for a lot of American companies.”
He continued: “I do favors for all… when you heard an American company, especially a company like this, applies so many jobs that others are unable to do, when you do that, those people are going to go through a big problem when we catch them.
“And we have a lot of… you got a lot of cameras up, we already know who some of them are. We're going to catch up and they're bad guys. They're the same guys that screw around with our schools and universities. The same garbage.
“And no, we're going to catch them and let me tell you, you do it to Tesla and you do it to any company. We're going to catch you and you're going to go through hell.”
Trump also spoke about his “First Buddy” Musk, saying the world’s richest man had been “treated very unfairly by a very small group of people.” “I just want people to know that he can't be penalized for being a patriot,” he said.
"Markets are going to go up and they're going to go down but, you know what, we have to rebuild our country." He went on to say that he would buy a Tesla, but admitted he would not be driving because, as president, he is not allowed to drive.
“I haven’t driven a car in a long time. And I love to drive cars,” he said. “But I’m gonna have it at the White House, and I’m gonna let my staff use it, I’m gonna let people at the place use it, and they’re all excited about it.”
For his part, Musk vowed that Tesla would be doubling its vehicle output in the U.S. over the course of the next two years “As a function of the great policies of President Trump and his administration, and as an act of faith in America.”
The president added that he had bought a Cybertruck for his 17-year-old granddaughter Kai Trump last year. After climbing into a red Tesla Model S, he could not resist returning to familiar territory.
"You think Biden could get into that car? I don't think so,” he said.
However, while president, Biden did test drive an electric car, in his case a Ford.
While Trump has not driven for a long time, he is known to love vehicles, famously sitting in a truck outside the White House during his first term, and being driven around in a garbage truck during the 2024 election campaign.
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