Late-night host Jimmy Kimmel took aim at Elon Musk in his March 19 monologue, mocking the billionaire’s concerns over increasing Tesla vandalism. Kimmel’s remarks, which some critics interpreted as justifying attacks on Tesla vehicles, quickly drew backlash from conservatives and Musk supporters. Facing criticism, Kimmel attempted to walk back his comments in a follow-up monologue the next night.
Kimmel first ridiculed Musk’s recent interview with Sean Hannity, where the Tesla CEO suggested that anti-Tesla attacks might be linked to widespread mental illness. “His sales are down, his stock is down,” Kimmel said, sarcastically portraying Musk as struggling. He also mocked Musk’s concerns, saying, “Well, let me see if I can explain it for you—when you pull out a chainsaw to celebrate firing thousands of people, they get mad.”
The late-night host continued his attacks, referencing claims that Musk had made a Nazi-like gesture, a charge Musk has denied. “My god, I mean, this poor guy. You do one, maybe two Nazi salutes, everybody gets all bent out of shape!” Kimmel quipped, drawing laughter from the audience but ire from conservative viewers.
Critics, including Trump supporters, accused Kimmel of encouraging violence against Tesla owners. Their concerns were heightened when Kimmel appeared to sarcastically discourage vandalism, saying, “Please don’t vandalize Tesla,” while making a facial expression that some interpreted as insincere.
The following night, Kimmel acknowledged the controversy but did not issue a full retraction. “Here’s the thing, I get that people are upset,” he said, before joking that “burning a car might not be great for the environment.” He also referenced a March 19 attack in Las Vegas, where a Molotov cocktail was thrown at a Tesla service center, setting several vehicles on fire. Kimmel dismissed concerns about Tesla safety with another jab: “At least five Teslas blew up, one from the Molotov and four because that’s just what Teslas do sometimes.”
Kimmel did end his segment with a clearer condemnation of arson, saying, “No one should be setting fires. You could kill somebody, you could hurt somebody. Elon Musk might not care about other people, but decent Americans should.” However, his attempt to distance himself from incitement allegations did little to quell criticism from conservatives, who saw his comments as flippant and irresponsible.
