"A Trump/ Musk metaphor for the ages" - Internet reacts to video of Tesla cybertruck exploding in front of Trump International Hotel

On January 1, 2025, a 2024 model of Tesla cybertruck exploded in front of Trump International Hotel Las Vegas in Nevada around 8:40 am local time. The video of the incident caught on surveillance camera has now gone viral.

It shows a silver-colored futuristic vehicle parked outside Donald Trump’s luxury hotel blowing up and leading to a huge fire, followed by immediate sirens.

Since the video circulated on social media platforms such as X, it has earned diverse reactions. For instance, X user @kdino commented on Republicans Against Trump’s post on the same.

“A Trump/ Musk metaphor for the ages!” the user wrote.

Many people joined the conversation and shared similar reactions on the social networking site about the Tesla cybertruck explosion.

“A message to #djt from his buddy EM?” a person asked.

“Definitely on purpose,” one person wrote.

“If Trump or Musk need a pacemaker…” wrote another.

Others continued to weigh in with wild remarks about the Tesla cybertruck blast.

“While a perfect metaphor for 2025, it looks intentional unless they were loaded up with fireworks for midnight,” a netizen wrote.

“Oh, sh*t it like exploded exploded,” another netizen wrote.

“2024 summed up perfectly,” a user wrote.

“A metaphor for what's ahead?” asked another.

---

Exploring the reactions of Elon Musk, Eric Trump, and more to the Tesla cybertruck blast

Following Wednesday’s incident, Tesla CEO Elon Musk took to X and called it an “act of terrorism.” In another tweet, he wrote:

“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.”

Elon Musk confirmed the same after the “whole Tesla senior team” investigated the matter. He also shared, “We’ve never seen anything like this.”

Meanwhile, President-elect Donald Trump’s son Eric Trump also went on the platform to release a statement on behalf of the Trump Organization, of which he is the Executive Vice President.

“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 @TrumpLasVegas,” Eric wrote.

NBC News defined “porte cochère” as a covered entrance large enough for vehicles to drive through.

The Tesla cybertruck blast killed the driver while seven bystanders suffered minor injuries, and were later treated at a local hospital. Trump International Hotel was evacuated and the guests were moved to Resort World Las Vegas.

The hotel, which is partly owned by the Trump Organization and American hotelier Phil Ruffin also issued a statement on X in the aftermath of the explosion, which echoed similar sentiments as that of Eric Trump’s post.

Mary Lescano Paguada, 43, initially thought nothing of the situation during her hotel vacation. However, after hotel staff warned her and her husband to evacuate and avoid the smoke, they realized the severity as law enforcement and emergency workers arrived. They were not allowed to return to their rooms, as reported by NBC News.

Brazilian tourist Ana Bruce reported hearing three explosions: the first caused a fire, the second exposed the battery, and the third filled the area with smoke. Authorities instructed her to evacuate and stay away. Her companion, Alcides Antunes, shared a video of the incident.

Las Vegas police, fire department, and FBI are investigating the case. The motive remains unclear. The Tesla cybertruck blast came hours after a driver reportedly rammed a rented Ford F-150 pickup truck into a festive crowd in New Orleans, killing at least 15 people and injuring nearly 30. The assailant Shamsud-Din Jabbar was subsequently shot dead by the police.

Whether the incidents are isolated or connected remains unknown. However, both vehicles were rented using the Turo peer-to-peer car rental app. President Joe Biden who was briefed on both shared the matter was under probe.