During a recent segment on “The Daily Show,” guest host Jordan Klepper covered the recent string of attacks on Tesla vehicles, including arson and gunfire, only to be met with enthusiastic applause from the audience. The moment, which aired on Comedy Central, appeared to showcase open support for acts of domestic terrorism targeting the electric vehicle company.
Klepper began by referencing critics of Elon Musk, noting that some were going beyond vocal opposition and “taking to the streets or the parking lots.” The show then cut to a news clip detailing multiple FBI and ATF investigations into arson attacks on Teslas and Cybertrucks. As footage rolled of cars engulfed in flames, the studio audience erupted in cheers.
“This dramatic video shows multiple cars in flames. Police say the attacker used Molotov cocktails,” the news clip reported — again met with cheers from the studio audience.
The segment continued outlining further attacks, including instances where suspects fired guns at Teslas and set Cybertrucks ablaze in Kansas City and Seattle. The audience’s response remained the same: more cheers.
Finally, after another mention of gunfire targeting a Tesla dealership in Oregon, Klepper, seemingly taken aback, reacted to the studio’s enthusiasm. “Wow. You guys like petty acts of domestic terrorism, huh? Cool. Wow,” he said, his tone showing some disbelief.
But, then, Klepper seemed to rationalize the acts of domestic terrorism targeting Tesla. He played a clip from Musk’s recent interview on “Hannity” in which Musk addressed the recent attacks on Teslas.
“Yeah, I mean, it’s really come as quite a shock to me that there is this level of, of really hatred and violence from the left. Tesla is a peaceful company,” Musk said in the clip. “We’ve never done anything harmful. I’ve never done anything awful. I’ve only done productive things.”
Related: Musk: ‘There’s Some Kind of Mental Illness’ Behind Tesla Attacks
That’s when Klepper dismissed Musk’s reaction and instead justified the violent attacks by saying that the violence wasn’t really about Tesla vehicles. After making sarcastic remarks about Tesla’s design, he implied that Musk had brought the backlash upon himself
“I don’t think people, though, are mad at you because of the Teslas, Elon,” Klepper said. “If I were to hazard a guess about why they’d be mad, it might be because, in the last several weeks, you fired tens of thousands of federal workers,” he said. Then he launched into a laundry list of left-wing talking points, falsely claiming that life-saving programs have been cut.
Rather than unequivocally condemning politically motivated violence, Klepper actively justified it, proving Musk’s point about the growing hatred and extremism from the left. Instead of condemning the arson and gunfire, Klepper excused the attacks as a reasonable response to Musk’s effort to reduce government waste, which has nothing to do with Tesla at all. His flippant remarks not only validated the radical anger fueling these violent acts but also reinforced the notion that targeting Musk’s company with destruction is somehow warranted.
Worse still, this came after the audience repeatedly cheered acts of arson and gunfire, revealing an unsettling appetite for political violence. Rather than challenging this alarming display, Klepper doubled down, providing a smug, sarcastic justification for why Tesla deserved to be attacked.
This isn’t just reckless rhetoric; it’s outright enabling domestic terrorism.
And this wasn't an isolated incident. Mere months ago, the audience of “Saturday Night Live!” erupted in applause when host Colin Jost mentioned Luigi Mangione, the man who murdered UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson in New York City last December.
These moments aren’t just coincidences; they are a clear pattern. The left is no longer tolerating political violence; it is openly celebrating it.
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