• DOJ charges Cooper Frederick for firebombing a Tesla dealership in Colorado, endangering workers.
• Far-left extremists are linked to a surge in violent attacks on Tesla properties nationwide.
• President Trump demands 20-year sentences for perpetrators, calling them “terrorist thugs.”
• Activists’ attacks contradict environmental goals, releasing toxins and risking lives.
• A federal task force is targeting networks behind the coordinated assaults on Tesla.

The U.S. Department of Justice has unsealed charges against Cooper Frederick, the 24-year-old who allegedly hurled a firebomb at a Tesla dealership in Loveland, Colorado, on March 7, endangering workers and igniting a wave of federal scrutiny into coordinated attacks against the electric vehicle giant.

Attorney General Pamela Bondi has vowed relentless prosecution amid a surge in violent incidents targeting Tesla properties nationwide. The attacks, linked to far-left extremists—including one suspect tied to Communist Party USA-affiliated groups—have drawn sharp condemnation from President Donald Trump, who called for 20-year prison sentences for perpetrators. The case exposes a jarring hypocrisy: self-styled environmentalists torching zero-emission vehicles, polluting communities, and risking lives in the name of ideological warfare.

A pattern of violence

Frederick’s arrest marks the latest in a string of assaults on Tesla facilities, which have escalated since CEO Elon Musk joined the Trump administration’s Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE). From Oregon to South Carolina, showrooms, charging stations, and even parked Cybertrucks have been vandalized, burned, or sprayed with anarchist slogans. In Las Vegas, suspect Paul Hyon Kim—reportedly affiliated with far-left groups—was arrested for setting two Teslas ablaze and graffitiing “Resist” on a repair center. Similar attacks in Canada saw nearly 90 vehicles damaged in Hamilton, Ontario.

“They’re burning Teslas and shooting up dealerships,” Musk said during a recent town hall, exasperated by the violence. “That’s somebody else’s car. Leave it alone.”

Hypocrisy in flames

The irony is glaring. Tesla, a pioneer in sustainable transportation, has become a target for activists who claim to champion climate action. Yet their methods—firebombs, Molotov cocktails, and AR-15s—spew toxins into the air and endanger first responders. In Loveland, Frederick’s incendiary device landed between two vehicles while employees cleaned inside; only an officer’s quick intervention prevented injuries. ““All of these cases are a serious threat to public safety,” Bondi emphasized. “Therefore, there will be no negotiation.”

President Trump echoed the severity, posting on Truth Social: “I look forward to watching the sick terrorist thugs get 20-year jail sentences for what they are doing to Elon Musk and Tesla.” The FBI and ATF have since formed a task force to dismantle the networks behind the attacks.

Behind the chaos lies a darker agenda. Groups like Tesla Takedown openly rally against Musk, accusing him of “destroying democracy” while organizing protests at dealerships. Their rhetoric, however, has spiraled into criminality. In Salem, Oregon, a suspect lobbed eight firebombs at a showroom while armed with a suppressed rifle. Meanwhile, Frederick’s social media reportedly included anti-Musk diatribes, though authorities have yet to confirm direct ties to organized extremism.

The fallout is both material and moral. Each torched Tesla releases hazardous chemicals, contradicting the perpetrators’ purported environmentalism. Each attack diverts law enforcement resources from legitimate threats. And each act of violence undermines civil discourse, replacing debate with Molotov cocktails.

Justice or warning?

Frederick now faces federal charges alongside state counts of arson and explosives possession. Will stiff sentences deter future attacks, or will ideological fervor continue to override reason?

For now, the fires burn—but so does the resolve of those tasked with extinguishing them. As Musk and Trump unite in condemnation, the nation waits to see whether justice can outpace the rage of those who would rather destroy progress than debate it.

The Tesla firebombings are more than property crimes; they’re a litmus test for America’s tolerance of domestic terrorism. With suspects flaunting far-left affiliations and courts preparing for high-stakes trials, the outcome will signal whether ideological violence earns a slap on the wrist—or the decades behind bars it deserves. One thing is clear: When environmentalists become arsonists, their movement isn’t saving the planet; it’s burning itself down.

 

Sources for this article include:

TheEpochTimes.com

NYPost.com

FoxNews.com