U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi on Sunday warned a congresswoman over comments she made about President Donald Trump’s senior adviser Elon Musk, amid protests and attacks targeting car company Tesla, of which Musk is CEO.
“She is an elected public official, so she needs to tread very carefully because nothing will happen to Elon Musk, and we’re going to fight to protect all of the Tesla owners throughout this country,” Bondi told Fox’s “Sunday Morning Futures,” referring to Rep. Jasmine Crockett (D-Texas).
Last week, Crockett spoke at a rally for the “Tesla Takedown” movement, which has rallied against Musk and the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), which he leads. Since it was established in January by Trump, DOGE has been working with different agencies, including the IRS and the Social Security Administration (SSA), to root out alleged fraud, waste, and abuse.
Crockett later said she wanted “nonviolent” demonstrations.
“We know that we are peaceful, loving people, and this is not about violence,” she said.
“People need to know that the three people in custody right now” will receive “severe” consequences,“ Bondi said on Sunday. ”We are looking at everything, especially if this is a concerted effort. This is domestic terrorism,” she said.
On Sunday, Crockett appeared on MSNBC and was asked about the U.S. attorney general’s warning, responding that she has never promoted violence.
“I have never promoted violence whatsoever,“ Crockett said, adding that ”this is a nonviolent protest that they’re calling for.”
She said, “One of the things that I told people to do is make sure you are adhering to the laws in your area. Make sure you know what it looks like to protest and to be able to raise your voices and to exercise your constitutional right to free speech.”
Owners of Tesla cars and shares of the company were advised by the organizers to sell their vehicles and dump Tesla stock. The campaign included a map of Tesla locations across the world that could be subject to demonstrations.
