Since assuming a special role within the Trump administration, Tesla CEO Elon Musk has faced criticism for perceived damage to the electric car maker’s brand. Musk’s focus on significant spending cuts, job reductions, and potential downsizing or elimination of popular programs and entire agencies has sparked widespread anger. Tesla, with its showrooms across the country, has become a focal point for this discontent.
Recently, a series of vandals targeting Tesla showrooms and vehicles have been apprehended. Attorney General Pamela Bondi, along with Musk and President Trump, have declared that vandalism against Tesla will be treated as an act of domestic terrorism, though the extent of the president’s authority to make such statements is uncertain. Documentation obtained by 404 Media details how three suspects were identified using a combination of traditional investigative techniques and modern tools like license plate readers and digital footprint analysis.
In one notable case, Daniel Clarke-Pounder allegedly threw Molotov cocktails at Tesla charging stations in South Carolina. Law enforcement used evidence from the scene, including glass bottle shards and eyewitness accounts, as well as local surveillance footage, to identify a suspect matching the description with a similar brand of beer bottle. Further investigation, including license plate scanning and mobile payment app data, led police to Clarke-Pounder’s residence, where additional evidence, including a notebook with anti-government statements, was discovered.
Similar methods were employed in other cases, utilizing surveillance cameras, license plate data, and DNA evidence to track down those responsible. If convicted, each defendant faces a minimum of five years up to twenty years in prison.
In an era where surveillance cameras are omnipresent and smartphones are central to daily life, evading accountability for such crimes is increasingly difficult. With Tesla vehicles equipped with cameras and Musk’s efforts to engage the White House and Justice Department in defending his company, local authorities are treating these incidents with heightened seriousness.
Tesla has responded by enhancing security measures and activating Sentry Mode on all vehicles at stores. While some may criticize Musk’s actions, vandalizing showrooms could potentially backfire, potentially galvanizing his supporters to buy more vehicles, despite seemingly muted support from Republicans. The surveillance industry may also cite these events as justification for increased camera use in communities. Meanwhile, Tesla’s brand among traditional electric vehicle buyers is already suffering, as evidenced by a 37% drop in Tesla’s share price in 2025. Some of Musk’s long-term supporters have urged him to step down from the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) to mitigate further losses. However, Musk might choose to endure Tesla’s decline if his broader business ventures benefit from his political influence.
