A hapless arsonist who tried to burn down a Tesla charging station in protest at President Trump and Elon Musk ended up setting himself on fire, according to authorities.
Daniel Clarke-Pounder, 24, burned down three EV chargers in a South Carolina parking lot Friday — where he scrawled “f–k Trump,” and “long live the Ukraine,” according to federal prosecutors.
He was seen throwing five Molotov cocktails — one of which left him on fire, according to witnesses who saw him fleeing the North Charleston lot.
Witnesses said “that the suspect had accidentally caught their own back on fire while throwing the devices,” the initial police report said.
Clark-Pounder, a mechanic from James Island, was arrested later on Friday after the police issued a public appeal to help find him. It was not clear how badly hurt he’d been by the fire.
“While we will defend the public’s right to peaceful protest, we will not hesitate to act when protest crosses the line into violence and mayhem,” Acting U.S. Attorney Brook B. Andrews said in a statement, as reported by WCBD.
“These kinds of attacks have no place in our community. … We must remain united in our commitment to safety and respect for all, regardless of political differences.”
Clarke-Pounder was arraigned in federal court on Friday afternoon and faces a maximum of 20 years in prison.
He has a previous arrest from May 2023 for a DUI, having an open alcohol container, and driving without insurance, according to a police records online..
Musk-owned EV giant Tesla has faced a backlash in response to its CEO’s work in President Trump’s administration as head of the Department of Government Efficiency (D.O.G.E.).
Last week, a Colorado Tesla dealership was attacked with Molotov cocktails while the words “Nazi cars” were spray-painted on the front of the building.
In another shocking incident a deranged anti-Musk dad scrawled a swastika on a Cybertruck in New York, leaving the car’s Jewish owner horrified.
President Trump committed to buying a Tesla in front of the White House last week in a show of support to Musk, whom he described as an “incredible patriot.”
