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Elon Musk has said the "evil knuckleheads" behind the Tesla Cybertruck explosion outside Donald Trump's Las Vegas hotel picked the "wrong vehicle for a terrorist attack" as the car limited the damage inflicted.
Newsweek has contacted Tesla for comment via email outside of regular working hours.
Why It Matters
Musk is Tesla's CEO and became a close ally of President-elect Trump during his successful 2024 bid for the White House, and will co-head the unofficial Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) when Trump takes office later this month.
What To Know
The vehicle was parked near a glass entrance in the valet area in front of the hotel when it began to emit smoke and then exploded at around 8:40 a.m. local time on Wednesday. Fireworks, gas tanks and camping fuel in the truck's bed are believed to have been detonated using a device operated by the driver.
The driver of the vehicle, who has been identified by the Colorado Springs station KOAA and the New York Post as Matthew Livelsberger, died after the blast. Seven more suffered minor injuries.
The vehicle was rented in Colorado and arrived in Las Vegas at 7:30 a.m. Wednesday morning, according to Police Department Sheriff Kevin McMahill.
What People Are Saying
Musk wrote in a January 2 post on X, formerly Twitter: "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."
The evil knuckleheads picked the wrong vehicle for a terrorist attack. Cybertruck actually contained the explosion and directed the blast upwards.
— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) January 2, 2025
Not even the glass doors of the lobby were broken. https://t.co/9vj1JdcRZV
On January 1 he posted: "We have now confirmed that the explosion was caused by very large fireworks and/or a bomb carried in the bed of the rented Cybertruck and is unrelated to the vehicle itself. All vehicle telemetry was positive at the time of the explosion."
Musk continued in a follow-up post: "Law enforcement currently believes it was most likely intentional." He also said in a previous post that Tesla has "never seen anything like this."
What People are Saying
McMahill said on January 1 when asked about possible connections: "This is a Tesla truck, and we know that Elon Musk is working with President-elect Trump, and it's the Trump Tower. So there's obviously things to be concerned about and it's something we continue to look at."
Musk's pro-Trump political action committee America PAC shared footage of the back of the Cybertruck in a Fox News segment and said: "The fact that this was a Cybertruck really limited the damage that occurred inside of the valet, because it had most of the blast go up, through the truck and out...The front glass doors at the Trump hotel were not even broken."
Eric Trump, the president-elect's second-eldest son and an executive vice presidents of the Trump Organization, said on X: "Earlier today, a reported electric vehicle fire occurred in the porte cochère of Trump Las Vegas."
"The safety and well-being of our guests and staff remain our top priority. We extend our heartfelt gratitude to the Las Vegas Fire Department and local law enforcement for their swift response and professionalism."
What Happens Next
Police are continuing their investigation into the incident and looking into a possible link with the New Year's Day attack in New Orleans. U.S. Army veteran Shamsud-Din Bahar Jabbar drove a pickup truck through crowds celebrating in the French Quarter in the early hours, killing 15 people.
Newsweek is working to verify a report by Denver-based station KMGH that Livelsberger served at the same U.S. military base as Jabbar.
About the writer
Aliss Higham is a Newsweek reporter based in Glasgow, Scotland. Her focus is reporting on Social Security, other government benefits ... Read more