Reports of vandalism and violence against Tesla owners continue to rise, with more victims coming forward to share their experiences with vandals lashing out in apparent anger at the company’s CEO, Elon Musk.
Abigail Gill, a Tesla owner from Wichita, Kansas, was out to dinner when a man repeatedly walked past her table, wearing distinctive pajama bottoms. When she and her family returned to their car, they found deep scratches all over it. Footage captured by the vehicle showed the suspect keying the Tesla.
“It’s a super saddening and disappointing thing to see,” Gill, who uses a wheelchair and relies on the Tesla for mobility, said on “Fox & Friends” Wednesday.
OWNER OF VANDALIZED TESLA SADDENED THAT ‘REGULAR PEOPLE’ HAVE BEEN DRAGGED INTO ANTI-MUSK ATTACKS
She was quoted about $7,000 for repairs, but community members have offered to cover the costs. However, Gill insists there’s only one person who should be paying.
“It’s such a great thing to see people come together, especially in times like this where you know innocent people are getting their cars damaged,” she said.
“But I just think that the only person who needs to pay a single dime is the guy who thought it was OK to do this.”
Recent Tesla protests and vandalism have escalated in response to Musk’s involvement with the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), which has cut millions in federal programs and federal worker jobs.
Incidents have ranged from keying and graffiti to arson and even drive-by shootings. On Monday, the FBI announced the launch of a task force to investigate violence against Tesla owners.
Josh Hazel, another Tesla owner, experienced this firsthand while driving his Cybertruck in a Mardi Gras parade earlier this month.
“Amanda, my wife, was in the passenger seat, and initially we had the windows down because it’s a parade,” Hazel said on “The Ingraham Angle” Tuesday.
He described how people hit the vehicle and hurled profanities at them. One man threw a thick, heavy bead necklace, striking his wife in the head and cracking the trim between the windows. But Hazel says he won’t be trading in his Cybertruck.
“I mean they are just incredible vehicles and I highly recommend them, and especially in a situation like that,” he said.
Both Hazel and Gill have filed police reports, and authorities have made three arrests related to Tesla-related violence, all tied to Molotov cocktail attacks on vehicles.
FBI Director Kash Patel announced on X that the attacks are being treated as “domestic terrorism.”
“Those responsible will be pursued, caught, and brought to justice,” Patel wrote on Monday.
However, some lawmakers have criticized the move. Rep. Daniel Goldman, D-N.Y., suggested the task force is a politically motivated favor for Musk.
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“Trump uses his official authority to defend his benefactor Elon Musk. The FBI then creates a task force to use our law enforcement to ‘crack down’ on adversaries of Musk’s,” Goldman tweeted Tuesday.
For Tesla owners like Gill and Hazel, however, the issue isn’t about politics, it’s about safety.
“‘[The vandals] are not hurting Elon [Musk] at all. It’s just hurting the families that are getting such valuable things damaged,” Gill said.