(Image Credit: IMAGN) A new showroom for Tesla is located in the Portsmouth Green shopping plaza, seen Thursday, March 13, 2025.
Encinitas, California – Deputies patrolling early Monday morning discovered a Tesla dealership in North County had been defaced with hate symbols and graffiti, marking the latest in a string of high-profile incidents targeting the electric vehicle giant and its controversial CEO, Elon Musk.
According to the San Diego County Sheriff’s Department, officers driving past the dealership on Encinitas Boulevard around 5 a.m. noticed that several vehicles and showroom windows had been vandalized. Investigators later confirmed that swastikas and profanity had been spray-painted across the building and multiple Tesla cars. No arrests have been made, and authorities have yet to identify any suspects.
The attack comes at a time when Musk, who has been pushing to dramatically shrink the federal workforce and deepen his influence in Washington, is facing mounting backlash. In recent months, Tesla facilities worldwide have been targeted in protests and acts of vandalism. In Milan, an effigy of Musk was hung in the streets. In Berlin, an image of him performing a Nazi salute was projected onto a Tesla factory. In London, a viral bus-stop ad depicted Musk with the word “swasticars” emblazoned beneath him. Calls for a boycott of Tesla have even reached Poland, where a government minister publicly denounced the brand.
The controversy has been further fueled by accusations that Musk has amplified antisemitic rhetoric online. While he has denied supporting hate speech, his perceived alignment with extremist ideologies has made him a lightning rod for criticism across the political spectrum.
Last week, President Donald Trump made a pointed show of support for Tesla, selecting a red Model S on the White House driveway in a highly publicized event. The move was widely seen as a signal of solidarity with Musk as he navigates both corporate and political turbulence.
Authorities are urging anyone with information about the Encinitas vandalism to come forward. The sheriff’s department can be reached at (858) 868-3200, while Crime Stoppers is offering a $1,000 reward for anonymous tips leading to an arrest at (888) 580-8477.
As tensions around Musk and Tesla continue to escalate, the Encinitas incident underscores the growing divide between the tech mogul’s supporters and detractors—a divide that is now manifesting in the streets and showrooms of America.
