Elon Musk Threatens to Sue Media Outlets Over Tesla Cybertruck Explosion Coverage

Tesla and X owner Elon Musk could be considering lawsuits against various media outlets reporting on the Tesla Cybertruck explosion in front of a Trump hotel in Las Vegas, Nevada, which occurred on New Year’s Day.

The explosion is being investigated as a possible terrorist attack intended to send a message. In a post on X, conservative influencer Robby Starbuck wrote a post saying Musk should consider suing outlets that portrayed the explosion in a way that made it appear as if Tesla’s Cybertrucks are prone to explosions.

Honestly @elonmusk should consider suing outlets who framed the story like this. These headlines are sabotaging @Tesla’s brand by making people think it caught on fire. There’s about 1 Tesla fire for every 130 million miles traveled. Other cars have 1 every 18 million miles

Honestly @elonmusk should consider suing outlets who framed the story like this. These headlines are sabotaging @Tesla’s brand by making people think it caught on fire. There’s about 1 Tesla fire for every 130 million miles traveled. Other cars have 1 every 18 million miles. pic.twitter.com/OuKAgNboIf
— Robby Starbuck (@robbystarbuck) January 2, 2025

Musk posted a response: “Maybe it is time to do so.”

Maybe it is time to do so https://t.co/2i4q5QZOUn
— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) January 2, 2025

Several other users responded, agreeing with Starbuck and Musk. Some noted that in other incidents involving vehicles, news outlets do not name the manufacturer and argued that the headlines were aimed at deceiving the public into believing Tesla’s product is defective.

Yes.
The press knew what occurred and deliberately chose to state the falsehood that a "Cybertruck Explosion" occurred when an "Explosives Explosion" occurred.
The explosives were in a truck.
The model of vehicle used in the Oklahoma City tragedy never mattered but in this nearly…
— Archie Dann (@aaagdann) January 2, 2025

A former U.S. Army soldier drove the Cybertruck, which he rented from Turo, outside of the Trump International Hotel in Las Vegas on Monday morning. Upon arriving, the vehicle was detonated by explosives in the car.

Investigators found fireworks, gasoline canisters, and camping fuel in the remains of the vehicle. The soldier was believed to have fatally shot himself shortly before the explosion.

On the day of the attack, Musk commented on X that the individual “picked the wrong vehicle for a terrorist attack” because the “Cybertruck actually contained the explosion and directed the blast upwards.”

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. https://t.co/9vj1JdcRZV
— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) January 2, 2025

The alleged driver’s motive has not yet been identified.

As much as I despise the establishment media, I’m not sure there would be a valid case here. Under normal circumstances, headlines like Business Insider’s could appear to be deliberately deceptive – after all, many of these outlets seem to have a grudge against Musk, especially after he became an ally of President-elect Donald Trump.

However, in this case, the manufacturer of the vehicle is relevant given Musk’s relationship with the president-elect. It was a vehicle made by a company Musk owns and was detonated in front of a Trump hotel. These are compelling reasons to surmise that this incident was intended to send a message – although it is not clear what message the perpetrator might have been trying to convey.

If this had been a random act that did not have political concerns surrounding it, then it might be reasonable to scrutinize how media outlets report on it. But in this case, I doubt such a lawsuit would get very far.