Amid protests, White House officials close ranks around the Tesla owner leading efforts to slash federal jobs

Escalating reports of vandalism at Tesla dealerships and charging stations across the US have prompted the FBI to create a taskforce to target the perpetrators.

The development, announced by Kash Patel, the bureau’s director, comes as White House officials close ranks around Elon Musk, the Tesla owner and world’s richest person who has been leading efforts to slash federal jobs and budgets as head of the “department of government efficiency” (Doge).