Rick Wilson, a vocal Trump critic and co-founder of the Lincoln Project, has been permanently removed from X after publishing a post that many saw as encouraging violence against Elon Musk’s electric car company. His suspension followed a firestorm of backlash over his Substack post titled “Kill Tesla, Save The Country.”
The post included a disturbing image of a burning Tesla Cybertruck parked outside Trump International Hotel in Las Vegas, along with a tagline that read, “Elon has a weak spot. Attack.” Though Wilson later claimed the article was about peaceful activism, the aggressive tone and imagery triggered immediate concern among conservatives and Musk supporters alike.
NEW: Lincoln Project's Rick Wilson says he has been locked out of his X account after he appeared to incite terrorism by saying it's time to "K*ll Tesla."
"Elon Musk is frozen my Twitter account for 30 days," Wilson said on Bluesky.
The call to "K*ll Tesla" comes as left-wing… pic.twitter.com/PoLewmL9SM
— Collin Rugg (@CollinRugg) March 19, 2025
X initially suspended Wilson for 30 days, giving him the chance to delete the post in exchange for an early return. Instead, Wilson doubled down and refused, prompting the platform to issue a permanent ban by Thursday. Elon Musk responded directly to the post, calling Wilson a “psycho.”
Wilson has a long record of inflammatory rhetoric. In 2015, he appeared on MSNBC and called for someone to “put a bullet in Donald Trump.” Nearly a decade later, Trump survived two separate assassination attempts in 2024. Critics argue that Wilson’s language continues to fuel dangerous behavior from the political fringes.
Florida Attorney General Pam Bondi responded to the growing threats targeting Tesla and its owners, declaring that recent acts of destruction were being treated as domestic terrorism. Bondi confirmed that the Department of Justice has already prosecuted individuals responsible and is investigating those who may be helping to coordinate or fund such attacks.
Wilson, who left the Republican Party after President Donald Trump’s 2016 victory, co- founded the Lincoln Project in 2019 alongside disgraced former GOP figures including John Weaver. Weaver was later accused of sexually harassing young men, yet the group continued pushing anti-Trump messaging with little accountability.
In reaction to the X ban, Wilson posted a nearly 20-minute video elsewhere attacking Musk and mocking his critics. He also posted an image of Bruce Springsteen giving the middle finger, calling it his “appeal.”
While Wilson insisted his Substack was only pushing economic pressure on Tesla, a portion of the article described the company as a “bank for fascists” and a “goose-stepping hedge fund” that supported Musk’s alleged political fantasies.
