Officials search for possible New Orleans accomplices and Cybertruck blast investigated: Morning Rundown
NBCJan 02
Tesla Cybertruck Explodes Outside Trump's Las Vegas Hotel
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Above: An investigator photographs a Tesla Cybertruck that exploded outside the lobby of Pres.-elect Donald Trump's hotel on Jan. 1, 2025 in Las Vegas. Image copyright: Wade Vandervort/AFP via Getty Images
The Facts
A Tesla Cybertruck exploded outside US Pres.-elect Donald Trump's hotel — the Trump International Hotel — in Las Vegas on Wednesday, killing the driver and injuring seven others. The incident is reportedly being probed as a potential terror attack.
The Tesla electric vehicle reportedly exploded at around 14:40 GMT in the hotel's valet area. Tesla chief Elon Musk is set to co-lead the new Department of Government Efficiency in the incoming Donald Trump administration.
The Spin
Pro-Trump narrative
Going by the Pres.-elect's resilient response to past assassination attempts, the Las Vegas Cybertruck explosion will only strengthen the leader's resolve. Trump's reactions to recent challenges have demonstrated how attempts to intimidate America's democratic process paradoxically fortify both the targeted leader and the constitutional system he represents.
Pro-establishment narrative
The Las Vegas Cybertruck explosion is just the latest indicator that US democracy is increasingly threatened by acts of political violence. When a president-elect faces repeated threats to life and property, the integrity of our electoral democracy hangs in the balance. The state must rise above partisanship to ensure robust protection for Trump, whose security concerns reflect a deeply troubling pattern requiring immediate and comprehensive intervention.
