Rick Wilson, who built a reputation attacking conservatives while co-founding the Lincoln Project, has finally crossed a line even X couldn’t ignore. His account was permanently banned after he published a post referencing his article titled “Kill Tesla, Save The Country,” which included an image of a burning Tesla outside Trump International Hotel.
The post didn’t go unnoticed. Elon Musk responded directly, posting a screenshot of the article with the comment, “What a psycho.” The article’s headline and imagery sparked immediate backlash, especially from conservatives and Tesla supporters. The post also carried the phrase “Elon has a weak spot. Attack,” which critics interpreted as a dangerous call to action.
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
Originally, X handed Wilson a 30-day suspension and allowed him the chance to delete the post and return. Instead, he mocked those upset by the article, refused to remove it and was later banned entirely from the platform.
Wilson defended the piece, claiming it called for legal action and corporate activism, not violence. Still, the article went on to describe Tesla as “a bank for fascists” and portrayed Musk as someone with dangerous ambitions. These statements followed a pattern for Wilson, who in 2015 suggested someone should “put a bullet in Donald Trump” during an MSNBC appearance.
Attacks on Tesla owners and property have recently been classified as domestic terrorism by Florida Attorney General Pam Bondi. She stated that several individuals have already been prosecuted and warned that the Justice Department is actively pursuing others involved in organizing or funding such crimes.
Wilson co-founded the Lincoln Project in 2019 after leaving the Republican Party when it began moving in a more nationalist direction under President Donald Trump. His fellow co-founder, John Weaver, was later accused of harassing young men, which further damaged the group’s credibility.
In reaction to his ban, Wilson posted a video and image elsewhere mocking his critics. In the video, he continued using vulgar language to attack Musk, while calling attention to his account history of more than a million followers and hundreds of thousands of posts.
A separate website reportedly linked to Antifa has published Tesla owners’ personal information and used a Molotov cocktail as its cursor. That site demands proof that individuals have sold their Teslas in order to be removed.
