Trump Suggests Tesla Arsonists Serve Time in El Salvador Prisons: 'Lovely Conditions'

Former President Donald Trump has sparked controversy yet again with his latest remarks on the punishment for those convicted of arson attacks on Tesla properties. On TRUTH Social, Trump floated the idea of sending the culprits to serve their sentences in El Salvador's notorious prisons. "I look forward to watching the sick terrorist thugs get 20-year jail sentences for what they are doing to Elon Musk and Tesla," he wrote, adding with a touch of sarcasm, "Perhaps they could serve them in the prisons of El Salvador, which have become so recently famous for such lovely conditions!"

The comment comes as the FBI investigates a spate of attacks against Tesla vehicles and facilities nationwide, which have been labeled as domestic terrorism. Tesla CEO Elon Musk, a vocal Trump ally, has seen his company targeted by arsonists and vandals, with incidents reported in at least nine states.

Meanwhile, El Salvador's president, Nayib Bukele, recently showcased his country's hardline approach to dealing with criminals. Bukele released footage of alleged Venezuelan gang members being transferred to El Salvador's Terrorism Confinement Center, where they are set to serve renewable one-year terms. The U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ), however, is facing legal challenges over deportation flights to El Salvador, complicating any hypothetical plan to send American prisoners there.

U.S. Attorney General Pamela Bondi announced charges against three individuals accused of using Molotov cocktails to attack Tesla properties. One suspect in Oregon allegedly threw eight Molotov cocktails at a Tesla dealership, while another in Colorado tried to ignite Teslas using similar devices. A third individual in South Carolina reportedly vandalized Tesla charging stations with anti-Trump messages before setting them alight.

Bondi warned, "The days of committing crimes without consequence have ended. 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." Each defendant faces a minimum of five years and up to 20 years in prison if convicted.

Recent attacks on Tesla facilities have been brazen. In Oregon, a Tesla store in Salem was hit twice—first with Molotov cocktails and later with gunfire. In Seattle, four Tesla Cybertrucks were set ablaze, and in Las Vegas, vandals painted "resist" on a Tesla service center before torching vehicles with Molotov cocktails. The FBI is treating these incidents as potential domestic terrorism, though the motives remain under investigation.

Spencer Evans, the special agent in charge of the Las Vegas FBI office, noted during a press conference, "Was this terrorism? Was it something else? It certainly has some of the hallmarks that we might think—writing on the wall, potential political agenda, an act of violence. None of those factors are lost on us."

Trump's comments about El Salvador prisons may have been made in jest, but given the ongoing debate over the U.S. justice system's handling of domestic terrorism and the role of international cooperation, they’ve certainly added fuel to an already combustible topic.