Musk Warns Media Outlets He May Sue Over Cybertruck Explosion
Tesla CEO Elon Musk has announced he is considering legal action against media outlets for their portrayal of the Cybertruck explosion that occurred Wednesday outside the Trump Hotel in Las Vegas, Politico reported.
Conservative activist Robby Starbuck took to X to suggest that Musk “should consider suing outlets who framed the story like this,” referencing a screenshot of a Business Insider article. The article, owned by Axel Springer (which also owns Politico), used a headline that misleadingly described the event as a “Cybertruck explosion.”
This phrasing, Starbuck argued, could mislead readers into believing the explosion was a result of a Tesla defect. In reality, the vehicle had been loaded with explosives and deliberately detonated by the driver.
“These headlines are sabotaging @Tesla’s brand by making people think it caught on fire,” Starbuck wrote. “There’s about 1 Tesla fire for every 130 million miles traveled. Other cars have 1 every 18 million miles.”
Musk responded to Starbuck’s post, writing, “Maybe it is time to do so,” signaling his willingness to pursue lawsuits against misleading media coverage.
The Tesla CEO, who maintains close ties with President-elect Donald Trump, has repeatedly criticized the media’s handling of the incident on X, the platform he owns. Musk has also defended the Cybertruck’s performance during the explosion.
“The fact that this was a Cybertruck really limited the damage that occurred inside the valet because it had most of the blast go up through the truck and out,” Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department Sheriff Kevin McMahill stated during a news conference following the incident.
Musk shared a video of McMahill’s remarks, commenting: “The evil knuckleheads picked the wrong vehicle for a terrorist attack. Cybertruck actually contained the explosion and directed the blast upwards. Not even the glass doors of the lobby were broken.”
According to a hotel official, the explosion occurred 15 to 20 seconds after the truck entered the valet area. The driver of the Cybertruck was the sole fatality in the incident, though seven others were injured.
Musk reportedly aided investigators by unlocking the truck, which had auto-locked during the blast, and providing surveillance footage of the suspect from charging stations en route from Colorado to Las Vegas.
Officials are also investigating possible links to another attack in New Orleans earlier that day, though no connections have been confirmed. Both trucks used in the incidents were rented through the Turo app.
At a news conference, authorities shared footage of the explosives in the truck bed, which included fireworks, gas cans, and camping fuel containers. Sheriff McMahill assured the public that the explosion was an “isolated incident” and that there was “no further threat to the community.”
Musk, in a follow-up post on X, confirmed that the explosion was caused by a large amount of fireworks and/or a bomb in the bed of the rented Cybertruck, stating it was “unrelated to the vehicle itself.”
The heightened security at the Trump Hotel is due to its association with President-elect Donald Trump, further complicating the incident. Musk assured followers that Tesla’s senior team is actively investigating the matter and pledged to share additional details as they emerge.