‘Picked Wrong Vehicle’: Elon Musk Reacts As Trump Hotel Video Shows Cybertruck Limited Damage

Last Updated:January 02, 2025, 07:54 IST

A new video of the blast in front of the Trump Las Vegas Hotel released by the police shows that the exterior part of the cybertruck was mostly intact after the attack

A Tesla Cybertruck erupted in flames outside the Trump International Hotel Las Vegas on Wednesday, resulting in the death of the driver and injuries to seven others. Videos from the hotel that captured the vehicle bursting into flames as it stood just outside the building have gone viral.

A new video of the blast released by the police shows that the exterior part of the cyber truck was mostly intact after the attack. According to sources, the fact that it was a Cybertruck limited the damage that occurred inside the valet because most of the blast went up, through the truck, and out. They said the glass doors at the Trump hotel were not even broken.

Tesla CEO Elon Musk shared the video on X and wrote, “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.”

Authorities stated that the FBI was looking into whether the explosion was an act of terrorism. Witness videos taken both inside and outside the hotel captured the vehicle bursting into flames as it stood just outside the building.

This incident took place only hours after a man drove a truck into a crowd of New Year’s Day celebrants in New Orleans, causing the deaths of 15 people.

The tech billionaire, in another post on X, said the whole Tesla senior team was “investigating this matter right now”. He added, “Will post more information as soon as we learn anything.”

The Trump International Hotel in Las Vegas is part of the Trump Organisation, the company of President-elect Donald Trump, who is set to return to the White House on January 20. Tesla CEO Elon Musk, a prominent supporter of Trump in his 2024 presidential campaign, is also an adviser to the incoming president.

“Obviously, a Cybertruck and the Trump hotel—there are many questions we need to address,” said Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department Sheriff Kevin McMahill during a press conference.

FBI special agent in charge Jeremy Schwartz later told reporters that it was still unclear whether the explosion was a terrorist act. “I know everyone is eager to hear that word and wonder if we can say, ‘This is a terrorist attack.’ That is our goal, and we’re working on that,” Schwartz explained.

He added that the FBI had identified the driver of the vehicle, which had been rented in Colorado, but was not yet prepared to release the driver’s name.

A person was found dead inside the 2024 Tesla Cybertruck, and seven others suffered minor injuries from the explosion, McMahill confirmed. He also noted that both the Cybertruck and the vehicle used in the New Orleans attack had been rented through the car-sharing service Turo.

McMahill stated that the Cybertruck arrived at the Trump hotel at 8:40 am local time (1640 GMT). He mentioned that the police were aware of the earlier attack in New Orleans on the same day. The FBI confirmed that a potential explosive device had been found in the vehicle used in that attack.

Las Vegas firefighters responded four minutes after the fire was reported and managed to extinguish the flames. Two of the injured were taken to the hospital with minor injuries. The Trump Hotel was evacuated, and most guests were relocated to another hotel.

Eric Trump, executive vice president of the Trump Organisation and the son of President-elect Trump, addressed the incident on X, stating, “Earlier today, a reported electric vehicle fire occurred in the porte cochère of Trump Las Vegas,” referring to the hotel’s covered entrance area.

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