A Tesla owner whose car was defaced in upstate New York expressed frustration after being targeted amid backlash against Elon Musk and the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE).
“Regular people like myself are getting caught up in this,” Shawn Freed told “America’s Newsroom” Friday.
“It’s sad to me that they are attacking Tesla, the company, because they disagree with the opinions of an individual,” Freed continued.
“Tesla owners like myself have nothing to do with this.”
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Freed, an engineer, explained that his wife and mother-in-law were attending a show in downtown Syracuse when they encountered protesters outside the venue. When they returned to their car afterward, they found a disturbing message scrawled on the hood in permanent marker: “This car supports Nazis.”
Although Freed was able to remove the writing using rubbing alcohol, the incident had a lasting impact.
“It doesn’t give me any hesitation [to drive the car]. However, I have a family,” he said.
“It does give me hesitation for whether they are going to continue to be safe.”
The vandalism comes amid growing anti-Musk sentiment, particularly over his involvement with DOGE and the Trump administration.
Earlier this week, Attorney General Pam Bondi announced charges against three individuals accused of setting Tesla property on fire in a series of arson attacks. The suspects, from different states, allegedly used Molotov cocktails to destroy Tesla vehicles, charging stations, and dealerships.
Bondi vowed to crack down on those responsible, calling the attacks “nothing short of domestic terrorism.” She also pledged to go after individuals coordinating or funding these crimes behind the scenes.
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President Donald Trump weighed in on the attacks, 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.”
Freed remains committed to driving his Tesla but hopes law enforcement takes stronger action against these crimes. He revealed that someone had reached out to him on X with a potential lead on the person responsible for vandalizing his car.
“Somebody from London said that they recognized the jacket of the person and sent me a picture, said they go to Syracuse University. So, I’m going to follow up with the authorities,” he said.
When asked whether he believed the attack was targeted, Freed admitted his perspective had changed.
“I didn’t before,” he said. “When you have an experience like this, you start to feel like maybe you are.”
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