As Tesla faces backlash, Trump buys one

Tesla vehicles and dealerships have been the target of nationwide vandalism since Elon Musk, the CEO of the electric vehicle company, has spotlighted US government spending as head of the new Department of Government Efficiency, or DOGE.

The multibillionaire Musk, once celebrated by environmentalists because of his successful mass production of EVs, has drawn the wrath of political opponents of US President Donald Trump, whom Musk has stoutly supported on X.com, the social media platform that he owns.

As of Tuesday, the DOGE website said the department so far has saved taxpayers $105 billion through a "combination of asset sales, contract/lease cancellations and renegotiations, fraud and improper payment deletion, grant cancellations, interest savings, programmatic changes, regulatory savings, and workforce reductions".

In a show of support for Tesla and Musk, the president sat in a Tesla vehicle at the White House on Tuesday.

"Wow," Trump said as he got into the driver's seat of a Model S. "That's beautiful."

Musk, 53, sat on the passenger side and joked about "giving the Secret Service a heart attack" as they talked about how to start a vehicle that can reach 95 kilometers per hour in a few seconds.

"And I just want people to know that he can't be penalized for being a patriot."

Trump told reporters that he would write a check for the car, which retails for roughly $80,000, and leave it at the White House so his staff can drive it. The president also said he hoped his purchase would boost Tesla, which is coping with falling sales and a decline in its stock.

On Tuesday, Trump said he would label violence against Tesla dealerships as domestic terrorism amid recent "Tesla Takedown" protests.

"I'm going to stop them," Trump said. "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."

Musk said he wanted to "thank everyone out there who is supporting Tesla. It's really terrible that there's so much violence being perpetrated against people at Tesla, Tesla supporters, Tesla owners, Tesla stores. These are innocent people who have done nothing wrong."

Seattle fire officials said a fire that damaged four Tesla Cybertrucks late on Sunday is being investigated. The trucks were parked at a Tesla lot in Seattle's industrial district.

In a protest on Saturday at a Tesla showroom in Manhattan, demonstrators chanted "Nobody voted for Elon Musk" and "Oligarchs out, democracy in", The New York Times reported. One protester held a sign saying, "Send Musk to Mars Now!!" Musk is also the owner of SpaceX.

On March 6, police outside of Portland, Oregon, responded to gunshots fired at a Tesla showroom, CNN reported. Investigators say at least seven shots were fired, damaging three cars and shattering windows. One bullet went through an office wall and into a computer monitor.

In Massachusetts, the Brookline Police Department on March 4 posted a photo with the comment: "We are looking to identify this suspect who was seen tagging Tesla vehicles with Elon Musk decals. When confronted, the suspect claimed he has the right to deface the property of others because it's his 'free speech.'"

Seven Tesla charging stations were set ablaze at a shopping center outside Boston on March 3, police said.

Agencies contributed to this story.

hengweili@chinadailyusa.com