Tesla car owners, dealerships and charging stations have been targeted nationwide in protest against electric carmaker CEO Elon Musk and his involvement with the Trump administration’s Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), which aims to slash wasteful spending and fraud within the federal government.
An Oregon Tesla dealership, located 10 miles south of Portland, was targeted by gunshots Thursday, damaging multiple cars and shattering windows, The Associated Press reported.
Earlier this month, a man was arrested after Molotov cocktails were thrown at a Tesla dealership in Salem, Oregon, the Salem Statesman-Journal reported.
When confronted, the man said he had the right to deface the property of others, citing “free speech,” according to police.
“We’d like to speak with the suspect so we can educate him on the difference between ‘free speech,’ and vandalizing property belonging to others,” police wrote in a Facebook post prior to his arrest.
Last week, the U.S. attorney’s office in Colorado charged 42-year-old Lucy Grace Nelson, also known as Justin Thomas Nelson, after police say they found a number of explosives and concerning messages at a Colorado Tesla dealership.
Nelson was charged with one count of malicious destruction of property, explosives or incendiary devices use, felony criminal mischief and criminal attempt to commit felonies, according to a statement from the Loveland Police Department.
The events come amid a string of apparent protests against Musk and DOGE.
Indivisible, an organization founded by former Democratic congressional staffers, previously urged liberals to protest Musk’s actions, going so far as providing a “tool kit” with recommendations on how to “take the fight to Elon.”
The manual details steps for planning and executing demonstrations at Tesla dealerships, showrooms and factories.
In an interview with Fox News host Jesse Watters, Rep. Anna Paulina Luna, R-Fla., voiced concerns over lawmakers’ rhetoric about Musk.
“People have said that they know that Elon Musk, hitting him, attacking him, is actually good for their polling numbers,” Luna said. “So, they’re going to continue to do it.”
She also noted Musk’s comments while speaking with podcaster Joe Rogan about the increase in threats on his life.
On Saturday, protesters rallied outside Tesla dealerships, holding signs denouncing Musk and DOGE, including in Decatur, Georgia, according to the AP.
Fox News Digital’s Pilar Arias and Elizabeth Elkind contributed to this story.
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