39% of Democrats View Vandalism Against Tesla as Appropriate Form of Protest
Sen. John Kennedy (R-LA) has a genius for distilling complex matters into simple terms that everyone can understand. He shared his latest pearl of wisdom during a Friday night appearance on Fox News’s Hannity.
“The loon wing of the Democratic Party is firmly in control,” Kennedy said. “Now that’s great for the Republican Party, but it’s bad for America.”
Then came the clincher: “Our secret Republican plan for dealing with the Democrats is called, ‘Operation: Let them speak.'”
Excellent advice. We’ll keep an eye on their actions as well.
The Democratic Party is now leaderless, directionless, and no longer stands for anything. Two polls released last weekend revealed the party’s lowest favorability ratings in over 30 years.
Yet those same polls found that a majority of Democrats surveyed support lawmakers intensifying their resistance against the Trump administration.
On Saturday morning, Rasmussen Reports released some surprising poll results about the recent wave of vandalism targeting Tesla dealerships and privately owned vehicles by anti-Trump protesters. The survey asked respondents, “Is vandalism against Tesla an appropriate form of protest?”
Rasmussen found that 61% of Democrats, 79% of Independents, and 78% of Republicans oppose using vandalism in their protests.
This also means that 39% of Democrats condone using such tactics to express their contempt for Elon Musk’s leadership of the Department of Government Efficiency. [Frankly, I’m surprised that 22% of Republicans and 21% of Independents feel the same.]
In any case, as we’ve all seen on the news, this isn’t your run-of-the-mill vandalism either.
The L.A. Times reports, “Teslas have been set ablaze with Molotov cocktails, riddled with bullets and defaced with swastikas. Doors and windows at once pristine luxury electric vehicle showrooms are now scrawled with profanity and Nazi symbols.”
Additionally, privately owned Tesla vehicles and charging stations are being torched, and owners are being targeted inside their cars.
After several attacks on Tesla dealerships in the area, FBI special agent in charge of the Las Vegas field office Spencer Evans issued a warning to those responsible:
Specifically to those who might think that something like this is justifiable or potentially even admirable, we want to let you know it’s a federal crime. We will come after you, we will find you, and prosecute you to the fullest extent of the law. I encourage anyone that’s considering something like this to seriously reconsider.
U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi sees the vandalism and arson attacks as “nothing short of domestic terrorism.” Following the arrests of three suspects this week, she warned would-be vandals that, if convicted, they could face prison sentences of five to 20 years.
“The days of committing crimes without consequence have ended,” 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.”
It’s disturbing that such a large number of Americans find this form of protest acceptable. It’s also unfathomable that so many Democrats who denounced domestic terrorism following the Jan. 6, 2021, Capitol riot, going so far as to launch a National Strategy for Countering Domestic Terrorism that year and even passing Domestic Terrorism Prevention legislation in 2022 and 2023, are remaining silent in the face of actual domestic terrorism.
Fox News reported they had reached out to 13 Democrats who sponsored the legislation for comment, but none responded.
To his credit, Rep. Ro Khanna (D-CA) called on his Democratic colleagues to “condemn it.”
Late-night host Jimmy Kimmel joked about the attacks this week.
It must be asked: Has law and order become a partisan issue? How about cutting government waste, fraud, and abuse? It sure looks like it.
Even deporting members of Tren de Aragua, a violent Venezuelan criminal gang (now a U.S.-designated Foreign Terrorist Organization) has become controversial. [It’s worth noting that this group had no presence in America until former President Joe Biden opened our southern border.]
The Democratic Party is currently focused on opposing any and every initiative proposed by the Trump administration. In an appearance on the PBS program News Hour this week, Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) reassured voters that Democrats are fighting for them.
We are mobilizing in New York. We have people going to the Republican districts and going after these Republicans who are voting for this and forcing them to either face — change their vote or face the consequences.This is a long relentless fight that we fight everyday. And I am confident that we will bring Trump’s popularity numbers and strength down if we keep at it and keep at it and keep at it.
Keep up the resistance Democrats. You are on the short end of every 80-20 issue facing the country today. You may be pleasing your base, but they’re not the ones who will decide the 2026 midterms.
Just a little something for you to think about.
Elizabeth writes commentary for Legal Insurrection and The Washington Examiner. She is an academy fellow at The Heritage Foundation. Please follow Elizabeth on X or LinkedIn.
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