Representative Marjorie Taylor Greene and her colleagues appear to be stepping up the pressure on the FBI and the Attorney General to investigate instances of Tesla vandalism as acts of domestic terrorism, which Donald Trump has championed.

Summary

Donald Trump and Republican lawmakers are pushing to classify vandalism against Tesla as domestic terrorism.

Trump declared that those damaging Tesla dealerships would face terrorism charges, calling the company “a great American company.”

Representative Marjorie Taylor Greene and others urged the FBI and Attorney General to investigate alleged Democrat-linked NGOs behind Tesla attacks, though no evidence was provided.

Greene may have violated House ethics rules by advocating for Tesla while owning its stock.

  • Doctor_Satan@lemmy.world
    4·
    3 hours ago

    Definition from the FBI:

    Domestic terrorism: Violent, criminal acts committed by individuals and/or groups to further ideological goals stemming from domestic influences, such as those of a political, religious, social, racial, or environmental nature

    Definition from the US House of Representatives:

    (5) the term “domestic terrorism” means activities that—
    (A) involve acts dangerous to human life that are a violation of the criminal laws of the United States or of any State;
    (B) appear to be intended—
    (i) to intimidate or coerce a civilian population;
    (ii) to influence the policy of a government by intimidation or coercion; or
    (iii) to affect the conduct of a government by mass destruction, assassination, or kidnapping; and
    © occur primarily within the territorial jurisdiction of the United States; and
    (6) the term “military force” does not include any person that—
    (A) has been designated as a—
    (i) foreign terrorist organization by the Secretary of State under section 219 of the Immigration and Nationality Act (8 U.S.C. 1189); or
    (ii) specially designated global terrorist (as such term is defined in section 594.310 of title 31, Code of Federal Regulations) by the Secretary of State or the Secretary of the Treasury; or
    (B) has been determined by the court to not be a “military force”.

    While you can argue that coordinated acts of destruction against Tesla dealerships could be defined as domestic terrorism, individual acts of vandalism against Tesla vehicles do not fall under this definition, nor should they. Otherwise, you could classify someone like Banksy as a terrorist. Is that the kind of world you want to live in?