Trump buys a Tesla to show support for Elon Musk
By Chris McGerian
President Donald Trump shopped for a new Tesla on the White House driveway, selecting a shiny red sedan to show his support for Elon Musk’s electric vehicle company as it faces blowback because of his work to advance the president’s political agenda and downsize the federal government.
“Wow,” Trump said as he eased his way into the driver’s seat of a Model S. “That’s beautiful.”
Trump, with Musk and his son X, appear with Tesla vehicles outside the White House.Credit: AP
Musk got in on the passenger side and joked about “giving the Secret Service a heart attack” as they talked about how to start a vehicle that can reach 95 km/h per hour in a few seconds.
Trump also said recent violence against Tesla dealerships will be labelled domestic terrorism.
Activists have lately staged so-called Tesla Takedown protests to voice displeasure over Musk’s role in sweeping cuts to the federal workforce at the behest of Trump and cancellation of contracts that fund humanitarian programs around the world. Musk, the world’s richest person, is spearheading the Trump administration’s Department of Government Efficiency, or DOGE.
“They’re harming a great American company,” Trump said at the White House, referring to the demonstrators. Nearby, a number of Tesla vehicles were lined up on the driveway between the mansion and the south lawn. “Let me tell you, you do it to Tesla, and you do it to any company, we’re going to catch you, and ... you’re going to go through hell.”
Trump told reporters that he would write a cheque for the new car, which retails for roughly $US80,000 ($127,000), and leave it at the White House so his staff can drive it. The president also said he hopes his purchase will boost Tesla, which is struggling with sagging sales and declining stock prices.
“It’s a great product,” he said. Referring to Musk, Trump said: “we have to celebrate him.”
It was the latest – and most unusual – example of how Trump has demonstrated loyalty to Musk, who spent heavily on his comeback campaign last year and has been a key figure in his second administration.
Tesla’s stock price increased nearly 4 per cent on Tuesday after dropping almost 48 per cent since Trump took office in January.
The Republican president announced on social media overnight that he was buying a new Tesla as “a show of confidence and support for Elon Musk, a truly great American.”
Musk continues to run Tesla – as well as the social media platform X and the rocket manufacturer SpaceX – while also serving as Trump’s adviser.
“Elon Musk is ‘putting it on the line’ in order to help our Nation, and he is doing a FANTASTIC JOB!” Trump wrote on TruthSocial.
“But the Radical Left Lunatics, as they often do, are trying to illegally and collusively boycott Tesla, one of the World’s great automakers, and Elon’s ‘baby,’ in order to attack and do harm to Elon, and everything he stands for.”
Trump steps out of the red Model S he purchased to show solidarity with Musk.Credit: AP
Others have also rallied to Musk’s defence. Alex Jones, a prominent conspiracy theorist, said he bought a customised version of Tesla’s Cybertruck that he’ll give away to a customer of his online store next month.
In addition to Tesla’s struggles, Musk has faced other challenges too. He said X was targeted by a “massive cyberattack” that disrupted the social media platform on Monday, and the last two test launches of his Starship rocket ended in explosions.
Presidents almost never drive for security reasons. Joe Biden got behind the wheel of an electric truck while promoting domestic manufacturing, and Barack Obama took a spin with Jerry Seinfeld in the White House driveway for a comedy show.
2001: President George W. Bush takes a well-known guest for a spin – but only around his Texas ranch.Credit: REUTERS
But regardless of the practicality of Trump’s purchase, his overnight announcement about buying a Tesla represented another step in how the president has blurred lines between private and public interests.
During his first term, top adviser Kellyanne Conway urged people to show their support for Trump’s daughter, Ivanka, by purchasing her retail products.
“Go buy Ivanka’s stuff,” she said. “I’m going to give it a free commercial here.”
Trump’s wealth and business savvy are core to his political appeal. The president promoted his products while running for office last year, and he attached his name to a cryptocurrency meme coin that launched shortly before he took office.
However, it’s rare to see Trump use his own money to support an ally, no matter how important they are.
Musk is the world’s richest person, with billions of dollars in government contracts. He’s also exerting sweeping influence over Trump’s administration through the Department of Government Efficiency, or DOGE, and travelling frequently with the president.
During an interview with the Fox Business Network on Monday, host Larry Kudlow asked Musk how he was running his other businesses while also advising Trump.
“With great difficulty,” Musk replied.
“But there’s no turning back, you say?” Kudlow responded.
Tesla shares rose on Wall Street overnight a day after a massive plunge.Credit: Bloomberg
“I’m just here trying to make government more efficient, eliminate waste and fraud,” Musk said.
Tesla has recently faced protests and vandalism. Police are investigating gunshots fired at a dealership in Oregon, and fire officials are examining a blaze that destroyed four Cybertrucks in Seattle.
At times, the White House has needed to play clean-up for Musk, who had never worked in public service before and has admitted that he’ll make mistakes along the way.
For example, Musk presented inflated estimates of fraud in government benefits like Social Security on Monday, leading Democrats to argue that he was planning cuts to the popular programs.
“Most of the federal spending is entitlements,” Musk said in the interview. “That’s the big one to eliminate.”
The next morning, a White House account on X criticised news organisations as “lying hacks” and told Democrats to “spare us the fake outrage” about reducing benefits.
“He was clearly talking about the WASTE in the programs,” the White House posted.
AP, Reuters
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