President Donald Trump has issued a bold chilling new warning to anyone who attacks Elon Musk or vandalises Tesla dealerships. Describing those who commit such acts “sick terrorist thugs” Trump threatened to them to mega-prison El Salvador where his officials have flown 238 alleged Venezuelan gang members despite a federal judge blocking the order.

In the stark warning, Trump warned those who are caught could risk being handed “20-year jail sentences”. Trump said: “I look forward to watching the sick terrorist thugs get 20 year jail sentences for what they are doing to Elon Musk and Tesla. Perhaps they could serve them in the prisons of El Salvador, which have become so recently famous for such lovely conditions!”

El Salvador has often been described as one of the world’s toughest prison and was designed to hold dangerous gang members.

Trump also wrote on Truth Social: “People that get caught sabotaging Teslas will stand a very good chance of going to jail for up to twenty years, and that includes the funders. WE ARE LOOKING FOR YOU!!!”

During later remarks in the Oval Office Trump described those vandalising Tesla’s as “terroists”.

He said: “Well, I view these people as terrorists, just like others,’ he said of people vandalizing Teslas.

“When I looked at those showrooms burning and those cars – not one or two, like seven, eight, ten burning, exploding all over the place. These are terrorists.”

He continued: “You didn’t have that on January 6, I can tell you you didn’t have anything like that on January 6.”

Elon Musk continues to face a growing violent backlash over his support for Donald Trump and far-right parties.

Tesla showrooms have been targeted across the UK and Europe as protesters gather to vent their anger at the South African billionaire.

His comments come less than a week after the Trump administration deported more than 200 Venezuelans to El Salvador’s notorious high-security Cecot prison. Trump invoked a centuries-old Alien Enemies Act 1798 that hasn’t been used since World War II to deport the alleged, on the basis they had engaged in “irregular warfare” against the US.