Elon Musk was stunned.

Elon Musk claims that those behind the repeated acts of vandalism targeting Tesla are "mentally deranged." Photo: Fox News .

In an exclusive interview with Fox News on March 18th, Elon Musk addressed the recent protests against Tesla and himself surrounding Tesla's dealerships, charging stations, and parking lots.

He said the level of vandalism had reached unprecedented levels and blamed the left. “It’s a real shock to me that the left has this level of hatred and violence,” Musk told Fox News host Sean Hannity.

"I've always thought that the Democratic Party should represent empathy and concern," Musk continued, alluding to the actions of burning cars, attacking dealerships with petrol bombs, and vandalizing Tesla vehicles as being carried out by the opposing political faction.

Attorney General Pam Bondi has called recent targeted attacks on Tesla vehicles "nothing short of domestic terrorism," after five Tesla cars were damaged in a fire that broke out at a repair center in Las Vegas.

A Tesla car caught fire and exploded in the parking lot of a Costco store in Las Vegas. Photo: SWNS.

Many such events have occurred across the United States since Elon Musk began working with the Department of Government Efficiency, or DOGE. The slogan "don't buy Tesla" appeared in movements in Berlin and Wales.

This protest movement originated on Bluesky, a platform competing with Elon Musk's X, urging owners to sell their Tesla cars and stock to "stop Musk now." One website lists dozens of public protests at Tesla showrooms in recent weeks.

Faced with this situation, Elon Musk shared that Tesla is a peaceful company and they haven't done anything harmful. He also suggested that the vandalism and protests were part of a larger conspiracy against him.

Since January, DOGE has been working to cut costs as well as what it describes as cracking down on fraud and corruption. The agency has sent representatives to federal government offices and reviewed programs such as the Social Security Administration.

Although he didn't mention any specific government agency, Musk accused some people of receiving corrupt money and implied they were involved in the recent protests against Tesla.

"They basically wanted to get rid of me for stopping their fraudulent activities, and wanted to hurt Tesla because we're pushing back against waste and corruption in government," he said in an interview on Fox News .

Both President Trump and the Department of Justice have recently spoken out about the acts of vandalism targeting Tesla. Trump is considering labeling these attacks as "domestic terrorism" and is actively pursuing the perpetrators.

On March 19, San Jose police arrested a man after a video circulated on X showing the suspect attempting to break into a Tesla vehicle and stating that he did so simply because of Elon Musk. San Jose police have not yet released the man's identity.

Meanwhile, Tesla owners say they have been receiving increasing anger and vandalism lately. As a result, some have decided to sell their cars or have put up signs reading "I bought my car before Elon went crazy" amid escalating protests.