Democrat Senator for Arizona and former Tesla owner Mark Kelly has refused to label the string of violence seen against Tesla dealerships, charging stations, and vehicles launched in protest of Elon Musk’s work with the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) as “domestic terrorism.” This comes after he himself sold his own Tesla to protest Musk and Trump. 

When asked if the attacks against DOGE were terrorism, Kelly told Fox News, “Certainly vandalism and it’s a crime.” He added, “It’s a significant crime, especially if you’re going to firebomb a car or vandalize somebody’s vehicle or even key somebody’s vehicle. They shouldn’t be doing it. And these should be investigated. And if people are caught, they should be prosecuted.”

In March, Kelly said that he had ditched his Tesla because it was a “rolling billboard for a man dismantling our government and hurting people.” He switched to a Chevy Taho SUV. Attorney General Pam Bondi, as well as Musk, have called the attacks “domestic terrorism.”

When pressed why he would not describe it as terrorism, Kelly said, “I think we’ve got to tread lightly on the whole ‘terrorism’ word.”

“We sometimes try to expand this thing, it kind of loses its focus. But when folks are vandalizing people’s vehicles or dealerships, it is wrong and it’s dangerous. Somebody is going to get hurt. And for that reason, we should put, you know, the full force of law enforcement to this problem and prosecute people,” he said.

Bondi has vowed to impose “serious consequences” on those responsible for the attacks on Tesla dealerships, saying, “The swarm of violent attacks on Tesla property is nothing short of domestic terrorism. The Department of Justice has already charged several perpetrators with that in mind, including in cases that involve charges with five-year mandatory minimum sentences. We will continue investigations that impose severe consequences on those involved in these attacks, including those operating behind the scenes to coordinate and fund these crimes.”

Charges have been issued against some suspects in attacks across the nation, including three people who face up to 20 years in prison.

The FBI has also put together a 10-person task force to catch the domestic terrorists who have been committing the targeted attacks, with the FBI saying, “[FBI] Director [Kash] Patel has been unequivocally clear: The FBI will be relentless in its mission to protect the American people. Acts of violence, vandalism, and domestic terrorism — like the recent Tesla attacks — will be pursued with the full force of the law.”