Tesla-Trump backlash grows with Arizona Cybertruck fire
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Tesla and President Trump have become inextricably linked. Photo: David Paul Morris/Bloomberg via Getty Images
An Arizona dealership became the latest target in a string of nationwide acts of vandalism against Tesla — an American car company inextricably linked to President Trump.
Why it matters: The American public's response to Tesla's Trump ties — from violent demonstrations to plummeting vehicle sales — is perhaps one of the most significant private sector responses to public policy in the modern era.
The intrigue: Trump has only doubled down on his support of Tesla and its CEO Elon Musk, showcasing the company's vehicles on the White House lawn last month and extending federal law enforcement support to investigate and prosecute acts of vandalism against Tesla vehicles and facilities.
The latest: Ian Moses, 35, was charged with malicious damage to a vehicle by means of fire, according to a criminal complaint filed Monday in the U.S. District Court in Arizona.
- Moses is accused of using fire starter logs and a red, plastic gas can to set fire to a Cybertruck at a Tesla dealership in Mesa, according to the complaint.
- He allegedly spray-painted the word "theif" (misspelled) on the dealership wall.
What they're saying: U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi announced the charge on X (also owned by Musk) Tuesday morning, calling the vandalism an act of "domestic terrorism."
- Trump previously said he would label violence against Tesla dealerships as domestic terrorism — but Moses' charge is not a terrorism charge.
What we're watching: Musk conceded his political ties to Trump could be hurting Tesla and announced last week he will take a major step away from the Department of Government Efficiency — the controversial initiative he's led that aims to cut governmental waste.
- Yes, but: It may be too late to separate the public's association between Tesla and Trump.
Axios business editor Ben Berkowitz's thought bubble: It's not uncommon for companies tied to public policy to be targeted by angry citizens — think defense contractors being picketed during wars, demonstrations at nuclear plants, etc.
- But firebombing a publicly traded company's retail locations speaks to the social media-fueled "Tesla is Elon is Trump" mentality that has turned a burning car into easy shorthand for loathing an administration's worldview.