WASHINGTON — Republican lawmakers are pressing the FBI to investigate threats and attacks against Tesla vehicle owners, even going so far as to ask FBI Director Kash Patel to open an inquiry into a Democratic lawmaker on Capitol Hill.
In a letter sent to Patel on Friday, led by Rep. Andy Biggs of Arizona, lawmakers are pressing the top Justice Department official to investigate incidents in which individuals are “fomenting, inciting, and engaging in domestic terrorism.” The letter specifically names Rep. Jasmine Crockett, a Texas Democrat who has been outspoken about carrying out a “Tesla takedown.”
“Peaceful protests have long been part of our American heritage, but there is no place for violence and our courts have agreed that incitement to violence is criminal conduct,” Biggs wrote. “Activities that appear to be intended to intimidate or coerce a civilian population or to influence the policy of a government by intimidation or coercion are also acts of domestic terrorism.”
The letter has already garnered support from a handful of Republican lawmakers who have attached themselves as co-signers, including Reps. Eli Crane, Eric Burlison, Andy Ogles, Keith Self, Clay Higgins and Lauren Boebert.
The request comes amid a growing number of attacks on Tesla dealerships in apparent retaliation to Tesla CEO Elon Musk’s prominent role in the Trump administration.
Since Musk was appointed head of the Department of Government Efficiency, a commission dedicated to cutting government spending and reducing the federal workforce, critics have gathered to protest at Tesla dealerships and factories across the country. Many of these protests have proved to be peaceful, but there have been instances in which protesters have been arrested for vandalizing cars and setting fire to vehicles.
In some cases, protests have gotten more violent. In Oregon, one man was arrested after allegedly throwing Molotov cocktails at a Tesla store and then returning one day later to shoot out the windows. Other stores have also been the target of gunfire in recent weeks.
Biggs and other Republicans have decried those attacks, comparing them to acts of domestic terrorism.
“Of course, these despicable acts are growing in an organized way to intimidate ordinary citizens who simply own a car manufactured by Tesla,” the lawmaker wrote. “Those behind this conspiracy of violence are now trying to dox Tesla owners and are encouraging vandalism and violence.”
Republicans cited comments by Crockett earlier this week encouraging individuals to “take down” Musk and the automotive company out of protest.
The Deseret News contacted Crockett’s office for comment.
Those comments have prompted backlash from several GOP lawmakers, with some calling on their Democratic colleagues to publicly condemn the attacks on Tesla vehicles and dealerships.
“Democrats, just utter these words: ‘I condemn all acts of violence and vandalism against Teslas, Tesla dealers, and Tesla owners,’” Sen. Mike Lee, R-Utah, said in a post on X. “It’s not that hard.”
Utah Gov. Spencer Cox has also weighed in on the protests, telling reporters on Thursday that while individuals should have the right to “protest to their heart’s content,” there are consequences for those who go too far.
“They should be imprisoned for any property damage or breaking of any laws,” Cox said.
The FBI has already vowed to investigate attacks targeting Tesla owners and dealers, according to bureau deputy director Dan Bongino. Attorney General Pam Bondi has also vowed “severe consequences” for those involved.
Musk has called the uptick in violence “quite a shock.”
“I thought the left, you know, Democrats, were supposed to be the party of empathy, the party of caring. And yet they’re burning down cars,” Musk told Fox News’s Sean Hannity. “They’re firebombing dealerships. They’re firing bullets into dealerships. They’re just smashing up Teslas.”
There has not been any evidence indicating the political affiliation of those who have been arrested in connection with the vandalism and destruction of Tesla vehicles.
But the so-called “Tesla Takedown” has become an international movement, with some dealerships in Europe and Canada being targeted with similar protests and vandalism incidents.