In the wake of an attack on the Trump International Hotel in Las Vegas on Wednesday, where suspect Matthew Livelsberger, a 37-year-old Army service member, detonated explosives inside a Tesla Cybertruck, the electric car manufacturer snapped into action.
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While the cause of the explosion was initially unclear, Tesla moved quickly to address concerns. CEO Elon Musk reported that his team conducted an internal investigation and found that the Cybertruck was not responsible for the explosion.
At a Wednesday evening press briefing, Clark County Sheriff KevinMcMahill credited Tesla and Musk for their assistance in providing security footage of the vehicle at charging stations and other useful data.
McMahill told reporters:
“I have to thank Elon Musk specifically. He gave us quite a bit of additional information in regards to how the vehicle was locked after it exploded, due to … the nature of the force from the explosion,”
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Mother vs the Media
Maye Musk is a model, dietitian, author, and also the mother of Tesla CEO Elon Musk. Following the attack involving a Cybertruck, Maye Musk became vocal about the narrative surrounding the incident. She reposted a statement from Tesla enthusiast Nic Cruz Patane, emphasizing the vehicles’ safety record:
Tesla vehicles are nearly 8 times less likely to experience a vehicle fire compared to the U.S. average.
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Maye Musk captioned the post:
You won’t see this in a headline. Sigh…
You won’t see this in a headline. Sigh…. https://t.co/neaTDooXPu
— Maye Musk (@mayemusk) January 2, 2025
She also expressed frustration with major media outlets, writing:
“It’s January 1, 2025, and many media outlets are already making misleading headlines about @Tesla and @cybertruck without doing any research. Today it’s @nytimes @APNews @BusinessInsider @guardian @MSNBC @inkl @CNN @CBSNews @SkyNews @NBCNews @NPR @Reuters @latimes. Feel free to add to this list. Let’s make media honest. If that’s impossible, shame them every time.”
On Thursday, Maye continued her criticism of the media’s coverage, writing:
Today this dishonest headline continues. @FoxBusiness so disappointing…… This was not a Cybertruck explosion. It was a bomb and fireworks in the trunk. Please correct.
Today this dishonest headline continues. @FoxBusiness so disappointing…… This was not a Cybertruck explosion. It was a bomb and fireworks in the trunk. Please correct. https://t.co/m0ZIefQM2h pic.twitter.com/mR7Ctkp0nz
— Maye Musk (@mayemusk) January 2, 2025
The Cybertruck’s Role in Preventing Greater Tragedy
While the Cybertruck was used in the Las Vegas attack, authorities noted that its design likely prevented greater damage and casualties.
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Clark County Sheriff McMahill 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.”
There is no reliability profile for this on consumer products. This is superior engineering & precision manufacturing down to the metallurgy. Bravo @Tesla team… pic.twitter.com/xZD1VpUVMv
— Jeff Lutz 🔋 (@thejefflutz) January 2, 2025
Musk wrote on X:
“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.
Not even the glass doors of the lobby were broken. https://t.co/9vj1JdcRZV
— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) January 2, 2025
The Cybertruck’s robust engineering, including its stainless-steel exoskeleton and shatter-resistant glass, has often been touted as a breakthrough in vehicle safety. Those features likely saved lives and reduced injuries, providing a silver lining in an otherwise tragic event.
The Media’s Role in the Narrative
Maye Musk’s frustrations align with the growing conservative consensus about the mainstream media. Elon Musk’s purchase of the social media platform X, formerly Twitter, was in part motivated by bias in media outlets framing stories to fit a particular narrative. In this case, some headlines focused on Tesla’s involvement in the attack rather than the facts of the case.
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However, it is also important to consider the constraints media organizations face when reporting breaking news. Journalistic standards require outlets to verify facts before publishing definitive statements. This cautious approach can sometimes lead to vague or incomplete initial reports, which frustrates both audiences and stakeholders.
For Tesla and its supporters, the goal is clear: ensure the company’s reputation is judged by its achievements, not distorted by sensational headlines. Between the recognition for assistance Tesla and Musk were given by law enforcement, to the design features that prevented further tragedies, the brand maye have had the mother of all PR promotions, after all.
