Recent violence againstTesladealerships will be labeled domestic terrorism, U.S. President Donald Trump said on Tuesday as he selected a newTeslacar to show support for the electric carmakers chief, his ally Elon Musk.Shares of the automaker closed nearly 4% higher on Tuesday, rebounding from the biggest one-day fall in four-and-a half years on Monday.Activists have lately staged so-calledTeslaTakedown protests to voice displeasure over Musks role insweeping cuts to the federal workforce at the behest of Trump and cancellation of contracts that fund humanitarian programs around the world. Musk, the worlds richest person, is spearheading the Trump administrations Department of Government Efficiency, or DOGE.Theyre harming a great American company, Trump said at the White House, referring to the demonstrators. Nearby, a number ofTeslavehicles were lined up on the driveway between the mansion and the south lawn. Let me tell you, you do it toTesla, and you do it to any company, were going to catch you, and . . . youre going to go through hell.About 350 demonstrators protested outside aTeslaelectric vehicle dealership in Portland, Oregon, last week, while nine people were arrested during a raucous demonstration outside a New York CityTesladealership earlier in March.There have also been recent reports of vandalism onTeslavehicles and showrooms that are under investigation.Trumps decision to buy aTeslaelectric vehiclehe chose a Model Swas a significant show of support for Musk, who has come under criticism for his work in Washington. Model S pricing starts at about $80,000.Trump, in the drivers seat of the shiny red car, said hes not allowed to drive anymore but would keep the vehicle at the White House for his staff to use. He said he would pay by check and did not want a discount from Musk.In a post on his Truth Social platform, Trump defended Musk, saying he was putting it on the line to help the country and was doing a fantastic job.Im going to buy a brand newTeslatomorrow morning as a show of confidence and support for Elon Musk, a truly great American, Trump said.Musk thanked the president for his support on his own social media platform X.Trump in January took aim at electric vehicles, revoking a 2021 executive order signed by his predecessor Joe Biden that sought to ensure half of all new vehicles sold in the U.S. by 2030 were electric.Teslas market capitalization has more than halved since hitting an all-time high of $1.5 trillion on December 17, erasing most of the gains the stock made after Musk-backed Trump won the U.S. election in November.The stocks decline since December stems from falling vehicle sales and profit, protests against Musks political activity, and investor worries that politics was distracting the billionaire from tending to his cash cow.But at the White House event with Trump, Musk said he would double production in the next two years.As a function of the great policies of President Trump and his administration and an act of faith in America,Teslais going to double vehicle output in the United States within the next two years, he said.Musk said in January thatTeslawas working hard to increase annual volumes this year, after posting its first drop in annual deliveries in 2024. He did not reiterate an earlier promise of 20%-30% growth in vehicle sales this year.Musk told reporters on Tuesday he would stay in Washington as long as he was useful, but said he would remainTeslas CEO.Jeff Mason and Abhirup Roy, ReutersReporting by Jeff Mason in Washington and Abhirup Roy in San Francisco; additional reporting by Shubham Kalia and Akash Sriram in Bengaluru.