In March 2025 claims (archived) circulated on social media that police and SWAT teams were guarding Tesla car dealerships in the U.S. amid protests targeting the company's CEO, tech mogul and billionaire Elon Musk, a senior adviser to U.S. President Donald Trump.
One X user wrote: "Looks like police are showing up to guard and protect Tesla dealerships. Too bad Uvalde Elementary didn't sell cars," an apparent reference to a mass shooting in an elementary school in Uvalde, Texas, in 2022.
The claim also appeared on X (archived), Facebook (archived), Threads (archived), Instagram (archived) and Bluesky (archived).
However, it was not possible to confirm systematic deployment of police in the U.S. to Tesla dealerships. We reached out to Tesla and the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) to ask if either had asked for or offered police protection. We also reached out to police forces in California, Florida, Texas, New York and Washington — states with a large number of Tesla dealerships — and await their replies. In addition to this, we reached out to the Fraternal Order of Police, the International Union of Police Associations and the International Brotherhood of Police Officers to ask if union members had reported being deployed specifically to protect Tesla dealerships.
Los Angeles Police Department (LAPD), Seattle Police Department, Bellevue Police Department (BPD) and Miami Police Department (MPD) reported their officers were not protecting Tesla dealerships. BPD added that Tesla had not asked for assistance, but the agency did provide a local dealership some general crime-prevention tips. MPD said officers would drive by as part of regular patrols. LAPD said officers would respond "if there was a protest or disturbance at a location."
The DHS referred our query to Tesla. Snopes awaits a reply.
Spate of Tesla-related attacks branded 'domestic terrorism'
The claims circulated amid a flurry of reports about fiery attacks on Tesla cars and dealerships across the U.S. The attacks gained national notoriety and the attention of both the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) and the FBI.
On March 18, U.S. Attorney General Pamela Bondi released a statement about the attacks, calling them "domestic terrorism." The statement read:
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.
On March 20, Dan Bongino, the deputy director of the FBI, wrote (archived) on X: "Our teams are actively working on the Tesla incidents and the swatting incidents, along with our other responsibilities to keep the Homeland safe."
Also on March 20, Bondi announced that three suspects charged in attacks on Tesla cars, dealerships or charging stations would face charges carrying a minimum penalty of five years and up to 20 years in prison.
According to a DOJ statement, Bondi said: "Let this be a warning: if you join this wave of domestic terrorism against Tesla properties, the Department of Justice will put you behind bars."
The specific claim about police guarding Tesla dealerships may have originated from reports surrounding a protest in Chicago, Illinois, on March 8.
A photo (archived) circulating on March 9 showed police outside a Tesla dealership on North Rush Street in Chicago. It was unclear when the photo was taken, but local news media reported that anti-Musk protesters had marched past the dealership on March 8 as part of "Takedown Tesla" protests (more on this below).
We reached out to Chicago Police Department to confirm whether the officers in the picture were deployed to protect the dealership on March 8 and whether any arrests were made. We await the department's reply.
Trump and Musk both commented on the attacks. Posting on X, Musk called (archived) the attacks, "insane and deeply wrong."
Trump said on Truth Social on March 20 that: "People that get caught sabotaging Teslas will stand a very good chance of going to jail for up to twenty years, and that includes the funders. WE ARE LOOKING FOR YOU!!!"
Tesla 'Takedown' movement vows global action
Takedown Tesla describes itself as a U.S. and international "peaceful protest" movement against Tesla, an electric car manufacturer run by the tech mogul who also serves as a U.S. government special employee with the Department of Government Efficiency.
The movement asks people to sell their Teslas and dump the company's stock in order to inflict financial damage on Musk. The movement's key message reads: "Hurting Tesla is stopping Musk. Stopping Musk will help save lives and our democracy."
The movement appeared to have started after Musk took up his role in the Trump administration. The website domain was registered on Feb. 12. The movement started its Bluesky account on Feb. 18, 2025. According to a Forbes tracker, attacks on Tesla dealerships predated Feb. 12.
It was unclear who was behind the movement. According to Valerie Costa, an environmental justice campaigner whom Musk accused of being behind Takedown Tesla, the movement was "decentralized."
The movement is planning a global day of action (archived) on March 29.