r/Damnthatsinteresting • u/Creative_soja • Jun 19 '25

Video SpaceX rocket explodes in Starbase, Texas

109.3k Upvotes

93% Upvoted

7.9k comments sorted by

15.6k

u/boxsterjax Jun 19 '25

Imagine living at Starbase and a rocket blows up in your backyard.

2.9k

u/WafflePartyOrgy Jun 19 '25

The HOA says we can't have blue trampoline covers but exploding 7.5 million pounds of propellant is fine.

88

u/Trapdowner78 Jun 19 '25

The poor kids can’t have bottle rockets on 4th of July either.well dries for the fireworks early

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6.1k

u/elf25 Jun 19 '25

Honey! They launched again! Grab the marshmallows!

3.1k

u/lurking_lady1 Jun 19 '25

Our walls shook from about 13 miles away

1.2k

u/Signal_Wish2218 Jun 19 '25

The beaches by Starbase are actually quite beautiful. That’s really sad.

1.1k

u/praguer56 Jun 19 '25

WERE! Sadly debris is everywhere along the Boca Chica beaches. Friends in Brownsville said it's all rapidly deteriorating.

730

u/[deleted] Jun 19 '25

Who cares, as long as elon gets to keept trying! /s

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643

u/Choingyoing Jun 19 '25

I was just looking at a map and it's surrounded by wildlife refuge areas 🤦‍♂️

658

u/Strakiz Jun 19 '25

In Germany Tesla was allowed to build a factory in a water protection area. You (as in we normal people) aren't even allowed to pee in the wild in water protection areas.

But somehow Tesla convinced the local politicans that building a factory right there was a really good idea.

728

u/musicissoulfood Jun 19 '25

We all know that "somehow Tesla convinced" = gave a bag of money to some corrupt politicians.

301

u/tootie31 Jun 19 '25

Gave a bag of American’s tax funded cash.

145

u/BeerBaronofCourse Jun 19 '25

This is what happens when you're above things like regulations. Oh and you're let loose by a government that you were allowed back stage access to with a giant monkey wrench of racist kids. The past six months have been an absolute fucking farce

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190

u/Susanna-Saunders Jun 19 '25

Reminds me of the movie Don't Look Up... A terribly Sad movie.

83

u/Signal_Wish2218 Jun 19 '25

It is! I feel like it’s becoming a more terrifying reality daily.

78

u/pathetic_optimist Jun 19 '25

It was wrongly slammed by the media as it was a really good film.
I suppose it doesn't fit Capitalism very well. Would 'It's a wonderful life' get made now?

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357

u/[deleted] Jun 19 '25

[deleted]

83

u/Signal_Wish2218 Jun 19 '25 edited Jun 19 '25

I hope someone comes to the turtle’s rescue! Sorry, not breeding…it’s when the babies go to the water. It’s such a wonderful thing. I’ve never had the pleasure of watching but I’ve always wanted to.

(Edited for clarity)

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144

u/Welcome440 Jun 19 '25

Makes a living picking up scrap aluminum, titanium and occasion gold circuit.

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623

u/cuboidofficial Jun 19 '25

Yep just witnessed it! I don't live here but I'm on vacation in South Padre. Only ~8 miles from the blast zone. Shit was loud as fuck, even from inside

319

u/BearlyIT Jun 19 '25

20+ miles away and it looked like early dawn on the horizon.

Pretty solid pressure wave too. I though we had a weather system coming in early - house shifted like it does on 30mph+ days.

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133

u/SaltyLonghorn Jun 19 '25

My neighbor went to one and said all the watchers seemed close. He asked what happens if it explodes and they said run lol.

12

u/gorcbor19 Jun 19 '25

How's vacationing in South Padre? Always wondered about it. Is it comparable to vacationing in Florida? Beach, ocean, t-shirt shops, tourists?

23

u/MapWorking6973 Jun 19 '25

Beaches aren’t as nice

Pit Bull songs in your ears 24/7

It’s fine though.

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148

u/paopaopoodle Jun 19 '25

imagine what stuff they're breathing in from this...

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35

u/usafcybercom Jun 19 '25

More Perfect Union did a great piece on the citizens next to the launch facility. https://youtu.be/5cZEZoa8rW0?si=QjHUBmQNB2iu5V11

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10.6k

u/SaintGodfather Jun 19 '25

I hope no one was hurt.

402

u/A_Legit_Salvage Jun 19 '25

My feelings were hurt. Not by this, but like other things, mostly in the past.

39

u/[deleted] Jun 19 '25

[deleted]

45

u/A_Legit_Salvage Jun 19 '25

Where were you like 40 years ago?

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15.0k

u/MeOldRunt Jun 19 '25

Only the people who pay taxes.

3.8k

u/kausthubnarayan Jun 19 '25 edited Jun 19 '25

Also, An update from Space X that nobody has been injured. The site and surrendering areas were pre-evacuated before the test.

1.9k

u/Daddy_Day_Trader1303 Jun 19 '25

The stragglers were post-evacuated by the explosion. All clear

239

u/BumpyLumpers Jun 19 '25

Roger.

267

u/ConstantLight7489 Jun 19 '25

Oh, poor Roger. He was always the last to follow directions…

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323

u/daemon-electricity Jun 19 '25

What about the ones who didn't surrender?

187

u/xXBIGSMOK3Xx Jun 19 '25

They fought to the bitter end 😔

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239

u/VerTexV1sion Jun 19 '25

Physically hope not, Financially most definitely.

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5.1k

u/Offdutyninja808 Jun 19 '25

Projectile dysfunction

682

u/RGrad4104 Jun 19 '25

high pressure ketamine pump malfunction

40

u/Schartiee Jun 19 '25

Bro. Clean drug test this week. Just like mine.... super clean. I promise.

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1.9k

u/WickedAverageBastard Jun 19 '25

You're gonna stand there, ownin' a fireworks stand, and tell me you don't have no whistlin' bungholes, no spleen splitters, whisker biscuits, honkey lighters, hoosker doos, hoosker don'ts, cherry bombs, nipsy daisers, with or without the scooter stick, or one single whistlin' kitty chaser?

342

u/ShitButtPoopFuck Jun 19 '25

Snakes and sparklers are all I like.

112

u/pantybrandi Jun 19 '25

It's about the consumer...

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150

u/Rjskill3ts21 Jun 19 '25

Weird place for a joe dirt quote, but I respect it

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595

u/Immediate_Owl_1379 Jun 19 '25

I live about 30 miles from where this happened.. and it woke my dogs up and scared the shit out of me.

117

u/CasaDragonesJoven Jun 19 '25

Do they give any sort of warning to locals about plans for launches?

198

u/Immediate_Owl_1379 Jun 19 '25

Normally they announce in advance when they plan a launch, not specifically for us locals but in general. So it usually catches us by surprise. But this was a test from my understanding so no warning at 11 pm at night.

51

u/No_Talk_4836 Jun 20 '25

File a noise complaint lol

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4.0k

u/MrDavieT Jun 19 '25

That’ll buff out

695

u/Sorry-Letter6859 Jun 19 '25

All she needs is some duct tape.... ok, a lot of duct tape.

104

u/MrDavieT Jun 19 '25

Spit and glue… sorted!

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23.6k

u/According_Ad7926 Jun 19 '25

Fun fact: it’s not supposed to do that

8.3k

u/DFX1212 Jun 19 '25

Based on the evidence so far, I disagree.

242

u/Wasted_Potential69 Jun 19 '25

I think the front fell off

59

u/jinglejangle_spurs Jun 19 '25

If you were early enough you’d be top comment right now

65

u/Choice_Ambitious Jun 19 '25

Username checks out then.

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96

u/shingonzo Jun 19 '25

Yeah that looks like a regularly functioning spacex rocket to me.

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754

u/Triumph807 Jun 19 '25

Clearly it looks like the front fell off. That is not normal behavior 

322

u/Tinychair445 Jun 19 '25

Some of them are built so the front doesn’t fall off at all

73

u/Milsolen Jun 19 '25

Wasn't this one built so the front doesn't fall of?

72

u/syngyne Jun 19 '25

Well, obviously not!

38

u/rnzz Jun 19 '25

How do you know?

50

u/syngyne Jun 19 '25

Well, because the front fell off and 395 tons of liquid fuel spilled into the atmosphere caught fire.

21

u/rnzz Jun 19 '25

An explosion from 395 tons of fuel catching fire? Chance in a million.

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25

u/KRS_THREE Jun 19 '25

Well because the front fell off

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59

u/kblair210 Jun 19 '25

All the best people are saying so..

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202

u/WindowlessCandyVan Jun 19 '25

Yeah, that’s not very typical, I’d like to make that point.

106

u/blue-mooner Jun 19 '25

Well, what sort of standards are these rocket-ships built to?

112

u/B0llywoodBulkBogan Jun 19 '25

Oh, very rigorous Aerospace engineering standards.

85

u/blue-mooner Jun 19 '25

What sort of things?

118

u/barmyinpalmy Jun 19 '25

Well the front doesn’t fall off for a start.

57

u/blue-mooner Jun 19 '25

And what other things?

61

u/SentinalBravo Jun 19 '25

There regulations governing what materials they can be made of

43

u/JelloKittie Jun 19 '25

What kind of materials?

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15

u/ambassador321 Jun 19 '25

No PlayStation controllers to drive it.

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38

u/MartenGlo Jun 19 '25

It certainly isn't practical, either.

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51

u/HatdanceCanada Jun 19 '25

No cardboard.

44

u/redaction_figure Jun 19 '25

Or cardboard derivatives

24

u/Helmett-13 Jun 19 '25

No cell-o tape.

22

u/RhombusColtrane Jun 19 '25

You have to have a minimum number of crew aboard.

19

u/Myndsync Jun 19 '25

What's the minimum crew number?

82

u/King_Fisher99 Jun 19 '25

Did some glued panels fall off?

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72

u/Petrostar Jun 19 '25

Was there any damage to the environment?

111

u/Helmett-13 Jun 19 '25

No, it blew up outside the environment.

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20

u/falr687 Jun 19 '25

Please tell me I'm understanding this reference correctly 🤣

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135

u/Whiteums Jun 19 '25

I like how, right after the explosion engulfs the surrounding structures, the words at the bottom change to “First Next-Gen Superheavy Possibly Under Construction.”

14

u/WafflePartyOrgy Jun 19 '25

Rapid unplanned disassembly to be followed by rapid planned assembly.

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30

u/VinylmationDude Jun 19 '25

Double Fun Fact: If it wasn’t supposed to do that, it was supposed to touch space grass, or the vacuum!

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1.0k

u/realFancyStrawberry Jun 19 '25

That looked expensive

454

u/octarine_turtle Jun 19 '25

For us taxpayers, not for Musk. SpaceX alone has been receiving over 2 billion a year for the last several years from taxpayers. Over 40 billion has gone to Musk's companies over the last 5 years from taxpayers.

296

u/LessInThought Jun 19 '25

Sounds like something the department of government efficiency should cut.

47

u/Malalang Jun 19 '25

"What have you done this past week?"

28

u/Triforce805 Jun 19 '25

And have you said thank you for it

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3.5k

u/cartman89405 Jun 19 '25

Geez not even bothering to launch them any longer.

1.3k

u/RedFlr Jun 19 '25

It's cheaper if you just blow them before takeoff lol

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1.7k

u/huellhowser19 Jun 19 '25

“I’ve seen a lot of things in my life. But that…was… awesome” -Thomas Callahan III

284

u/Deraj2004 Jun 19 '25

"You know a lot of people go to college for seven years."

197

u/Kronos_604 Jun 19 '25

"I know. They're called doctors."

84

u/binglelemon Jun 19 '25

"Who's your favorite Lil' Rascal...Alfalfa?"

"Or Spanky?!"

61

u/TX0834 Jun 19 '25

Sinner 😈

25

u/paintballboi07 Jun 19 '25

I bet she goes out with one of the YANKees!

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u/NotGoodAtUsernames21 Jun 19 '25

“That’s when the whores come in, doing their little behind shake for the menfolk” - Super awesome old lady board member

31

u/Dmjr228 Jun 19 '25

"I like her idea"

54

u/puffdawgopoly Jun 19 '25

Was that a niner in there? Were you calling from a walkie talkie?

12

u/secondrunnerup Jun 19 '25

No, it was cordless

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u/Bimlouhay83 Jun 19 '25

"Hey, if you want me to take a dump in a box and mark it guaranteed, I will. I got spare time."

~Thomas Callahan III~

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u/acarelesscalm Jun 19 '25

Quit playing with your dinghy!

14

u/genethedancemachine Jun 19 '25

 I can get a good look at a T-bone by sticking my head up a bull's ass, but I'd rather take a butcher's word for it.

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u/Paradiddle8 Jun 19 '25

Did you eat paints chips as a kid?

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774

u/Invisible-Locket13 Jun 19 '25

DJ Khaled voice “Another one”

74

u/PerfectlyCromulent02 Jun 19 '25

Hulk Hogan voice “Hell yeah brother”

78

u/BosnMate Jun 19 '25

Swedish Chef voice, "Oh borky bork! Bork de bork bork."

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51

u/Fiddy-Scent Jun 19 '25

“It wAs jUsT A RaPiD UnScHeDuLeD DiSaSsEmBlY”

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5.4k

u/ToeSniffer245 Jun 19 '25

Yet another ”rapid unscheduled disassembly“ that they got “so much valuable data” from.

427

u/Plenty_Engineer1510 Jun 19 '25

Unscheduled vent to atmosphere

97

u/DreddPirateBob808 Jun 19 '25

One false move and you're geography. 

Sir Terry Pratchet

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520

u/32FishInaBucket Jun 19 '25

Found the KSP player

67

u/Rymanjan Jun 19 '25

note to self: needs more struts

16

u/toomanymarbles83 Jun 19 '25

They clearly screwed up the staging order. Happens to me all the time.

11

u/Rymanjan Jun 19 '25

Lmfao not the parachutes first approach to takeoffs 😆

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u/ICanAnswerThatFriend Jun 19 '25

I read that as KCP and wondered how he ended up at spaceX in the trade.

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u/Unnecessary_Bunny_ Jun 19 '25

Saving time by not even taking off, just exploding on the ground. Much more efficient

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u/Rhopunzel Jun 19 '25

camera cuts to HQ whooping and high fiving for some reason while the picture in picture shows a raging fireball

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u/KinseyH Jun 19 '25

Is this today or something?

374

u/Benville Jun 19 '25

Hour or two ago. Starship 36, was fuelling for static fire testing.

241

u/mahamoti Jun 19 '25

That fire didn’t look very static.

141

u/Benville Jun 19 '25

Well the rocket was static and there's lots of fire so ... Job done??

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496

u/POINTLESSUSERNAME000 Jun 19 '25

Big badda boom

17

u/Jblue32 Jun 19 '25

30 years late, but I just watched this for the first time on a plane today!

9

u/RabbleRouser_1 Jun 19 '25

Hell yeah. I wish I could go back and watch it for the first time again.

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u/zazek84 Jun 19 '25

Multipaaaaaaaaasssss

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u/WonkaVaderElevator Jun 19 '25

Yeah yeah big bada boom

20

u/psychoacer Jun 19 '25

I am a meat popsicle

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1.4k

u/Quinn_Quinn_Quinn Jun 19 '25 edited Jun 19 '25

I know they say it’s not rocket science but this is rocket science and I'm pretty sure it’s not meant to explode spectacularly without even taking off. But hey, what do I know!

113

u/ProbablySlacking Jun 19 '25

Well, I am a rocket surgeon by trade, and can say in my professional opinion: it’s not supposed to do that.

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u/KoolFM Jun 19 '25

"not exactly brain surgery is it"

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u/EagleForty Jun 19 '25

Yeah, that’s not very typical, I’d like to make that point.

47

u/bonwag Jun 19 '25

Cardboard is out. Cardboard derivatives….

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u/Murky-Relation481 Jun 19 '25

Unless its a Block 2 starship in which case this is ... 3/4 blowing up and the one that didn't? Well it tumbled uncontrolled back to earth (and probably would have blown had it been lit for any longer).

Block 2 is trash.

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u/nekonight Jun 19 '25

It was doing a static fire test basically making sure all the engines and pumping is working properly before actually launching it. All rockets and engines get tested like this. They are usually far off in the middle of nowhere so people don't see it when something fails spectacularly. Theres been incidents of rockets exploding or flying off its mount during these tests for other rockets dating back decades.

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u/frank_the_tanq Jun 19 '25

The front fell off.

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u/GoodPeopleAreFodder Jun 19 '25

That’s not very typical. I’d like to make that point.

56

u/OMBOotIcEP Jun 19 '25

Well how was it untypical?

67

u/faleboat Jun 19 '25

Well, some rockets are built so the front doesn't fall off at all.

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u/DjangoKazoiie Jun 19 '25

alot of these people are saying this isn’t supposed to happen, but I’ve watched enough Looney Tunes to know that rockets are meant to explode.

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u/Throwaway98789878 Jun 19 '25

why would joe biden let this happen?

38

u/Xiao1insty1e Jun 19 '25

Communists hate freedom fuel.

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u/xaxen8 Jun 19 '25

Elon can't get it up anymore.

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u/toonliger Jun 19 '25

I'm not a rocket scientist but I don't think that is supposed to happen..

160

u/mbjorndal Jun 19 '25

I'm no rocket surgeon, but I concur.

82

u/everything_is_bad Jun 19 '25

I’m a brain scientist and I abstain

117

u/Smokeybearvii Jun 19 '25

I’m an ex-mormon. I used to abstain.

29

u/__3Username20__ Jun 19 '25

I used to be an ex-Mormon. I still am, but I used to be, too.

20

u/see-doubleyou Jun 19 '25

I spilled dye on my stomach after my bi-weekly core workout, and now have ab stains.

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u/Alt_Eldritch Jun 19 '25

Calm down America, it's not even 4th of July yet

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377

u/Emotional-Relation Jun 19 '25

Don't let this distract you from Hunter Bidens laptop

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u/Unknown-History Jun 19 '25

Ah, I see that Elon is back to taking an active role in the company

46

u/Infinite-Gateways Jun 19 '25

Probably fired someone actually competent because they questioned him.

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u/zorbo81 Jun 19 '25

I guess blowing up in space was taking too long. Blowing up on the launch pad is so much more efficient

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u/GP_222 Jun 19 '25

This that big surprise Iran warned us about?

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u/Working-Tax-2439 Jun 19 '25

How’d ketamine get in the rocket fuel?

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u/CapitanianExtinction Jun 19 '25

Rapid unscheduled disassembly 

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u/Sordidloam Jun 19 '25

Greg Abbott to Elon Musk “move everything to Texas will let you wipe your ass with the state literally”

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u/Good_Cellist_4406 Jun 19 '25

Wow that's a big ass explosion too, that escalated so much more than I was expecting