Never-Trumper Rick Wilson has been suspended from X for inciting violence against Tesla and Elon Musk.
Wilson posted a link on X to a Substack article he wrote entitled “Kill Tesla, Save the Country,” in which he advocated targeting Tesla and destroying the brand in order to strike directly at Elon Musk for his role in heading the Department of Government Efficiency.
The X post repeated the inflammatory title of the article: “Kill Tesla. Save the Country.”
On Wednesday, Wilson was suspended for 30 days, but then the sanction was increased to a full suspension on Thursday.
In the Substack post, Wilson describes Tesla as a “goose-stepping hedge fund” and says Musk is wielding its billions to “control the ruins of the American government.”
“Tesla is no longer just a car company; it’s a bank for fascists, a goose-stepping hedge fund bankrolling the political fever dreams of Elon Musk and his DOGE dreams of controlling the ruins of the American government as he becomes Earth’s first trillionaire and then the Emperor of Mars.
“Musk’s power and wealth are inseparable from Tesla’s absurdly inflated stock price. If the Tesla bubble pops, so does Elon’s ability to keep throwing money around like a drunken Russian oligarch in a Macao casino.”
The language throughout the piece is steeped in the threat of physical harm against the SpaceX, X and Tesla CEO.
As the piece comes to a close, Wilson repeats the mantra, “Break Tesla, break Elon. Break Elon, break Trump.”
Although Wilson spent much of the last two days attempting to defend his post and claim he was not advocating violence, he has a history of making such threats, including a call in 2015 to “put a bullet in Donald Trump.” He also celebrated Trump’s ban from social media including Twitter, Instagram, Facebook and Snapchat.
The high-profile suspension comes in the midst of an orchestrated campaign targeting Tesla dealerships, charging stations and vehicles with vandalism and destruction.
Attorney General Pam Bondi has announced federal charges against three individuals involved in violent protests against Tesla dealerships and products, labelling the protests “domestic terrorism.”
“The days of committing crimes without consequence have ended,” Bondi said in a statement.
“Let this be a warning: if you join this wave of domestic terrorism against Tesla properties, the Department of Justice will put you behind bars.”
Daniel Clarke-Pounder, Adam Matthew Lansky and Justin Thomas Nelson were all charged in connection with the protests.
Clarke-Pounder was charged with arson of property in interstate commerce after setting fire to a Tesla charging station in South Carolina. He wrote “F*ck Trump” and “Long Live Ukraine” in spraypaint before hurling Molotov cocktails at the charger. Agents found a notebook in Clarke-Pounder’s apartment containing statements against the Department of Government Efficiency, which is run by Tesla CEO Elon Musk.
Lansky threw Molotov cocktails at a Tesla dealership in Oregon, causing half a million dollars in damages.
Nelson, a male-female transgender, spray-painted “Nazi” on a Tesla dealership in Colorado. He is also suspected of setting fire to a Cybertruck.
Each man faces between five and 20 years in prison if convicted.