Rick Wilson Defends 'Kill Tesla, Save the Country' Substack Post

Political consultant Rick Wilson is brushing off right-wing outrage over the "Kill Tesla, Save the Country" photo he shared online, saying the reaction is just manufactured "moral panic" ... especially since they didn't bother to get context from his linked Substack piece.

His article, he explains on "TMZ Live" Thursday, outlines a political strategy to put financial and social pressure on Elon Musk by targeting Tesla’s stock -- completely peacefully -- in an effort to "stop the destruction that he's causing with DOGE."

Wilson argues Tesla was already struggling before he published his article, with outdated models, overpriced cars, and a failing reputation ... suggesting Musk should focus on fixing his company -- which just today saw the recall of nearly all its Cybertrucks -- rather than throwing a fit over an article.

Harvey presses Rick on the impact of the image, saying the photo he used seems to evoke revolution, regardless of his intent. But Wilson counters that he could have chosen more inflammatory images -- like a vandalized Tesla dealership -- but didn’t. (The pic shows the aftermath of a New Year's Day explosion of a Cybertruck outside the Trump Hotel in Vegas, triggered from inside the vehicle by Matthew Livelsberger, who died in the blast.)

Rick insists the real issue isn’t a headline or a picture, but Musk’s vulnerability to political and market forces ... as Tesla’s stock has recently plummeted by more than 50%. He points out how controversial Musk is, due in part to his DOGE efforts at slashing government spending.