In a striking announcement made on Friday via Truth Social, former President Donald Trump suggested a unique form of punishment for individuals who target Tesla properties incarceration in El Salvadorian prisons.
Trump stated that those found guilty of arson or vandalism against Tesla could potentially face up to two decades of imprisonment, adding a pointed remark about the “lovely conditions” recently associated with El Salvador‘s penal institutions.
Trump’s Suggestion Sparks Controversy
This commentary followed closely on the heels of an earlier warning from Trump, where he vowed that anyone found to be sabotaging Tesla vehicles or related infrastructure would be rigorously pursued and prosecuted.
In a separate online statement, he emphasized the potential for lengthy prison sentences, up to twenty years, for perpetrators and their financial backers, asserting a determined effort to identify and apprehend those responsible.
Government Rallies to Tesla’s Defense
Another case involves Lucy Grace Nelson, charged in Colorado with throwing incendiary devices at Tesla vehicles and vandalizing Tesla property with anti-Musk graffiti, including slurs and messages critical of Musk.
These incidents reportedly spanned several nights in late January and early February.
In Oregon, Adam Matthew Lansky faces federal charges for allegedly using Molotov cocktails to attack Tesla vehicles on January 20, the day of Trump’s second presidential inauguration.
Lansky’s charge is for illegal possession of an unregistered destructive device.
Federal Charges Filed as DOJ Denounces “Terrorism” Against Tesla
Despite the Attorney General’s office labeling the attacks as a “wave of domestic terrorism,” none of the defendants have been charged with this offense, as it is not formally codified as a federal crime.
Nonetheless, the DOJ indicated that each defendant faces potential sentences ranging from five to twenty years. Bondi declared, “The era of committing crimes without facing consequences is over,” in her written statement.
Although Bondi “announced” these charges, all three cases were already on public record before her statement, with the Clarke-Pounder case predating it by almost a week based on court records.
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