WASHINGTON — With Elon Musk dealing with escalating political blowback and monetary troubles, President Donald Trump stated he would purchase a Tesla car from his firm, an uncommon present of assist from the president to his strongest adviser.
It was the most recent instance of how Trump has demonstrated loyalty to Musk, who spent closely on his comeback marketing campaign final yr and has been a key determine in his second administration.
The Republican president introduced early Tuesday that he was going to purchase a brand new Tesla as “a show of confidence and support for Elon Musk, a truly great American.”
Musk’s electrical car firm is being battered by sagging gross sales and plunging inventory costs. He continues to run the automaker — in addition to the social media platform X and the rocket producer SpaceX — whereas additionally serving as Trump’s adviser on overhauling and downsizing the federal authorities.
“Elon Musk is ‘putting it on the line’ in order to help our Nation, and he is doing a FANTASTIC JOB!” Trump wrote on social media. “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.”
The White Home didn’t instantly elaborate on Trump’s plans, equivalent to how the acquisition can be dealt with or the place the automotive can be stored.
Presidents nearly by no means drive for safety causes. Joe Biden obtained behind the wheel of an electrical truck whereas selling home manufacturing, and Barack Obama took a spin with Jerry Seinfeld within the White Home driveway for a comedy present.
However whatever the practicality of Trump’s buy, his in a single day announcement about shopping for a Tesla represented one other step in how the president has blurred traces by bringing Musk into his administration.
Musk is the world’s richest individual, with billions of {dollars} in authorities contracts. He’s additionally exerting sweeping affect over Trump’s administration by way of the Division of Authorities Effectivity, or DOGE, and touring steadily with the president.
Throughout an interview with the Fox Enterprise Community on Monday, host Larry Kudlow requested Musk “how are you running your other businesses” whereas additionally advising Trump.
“With great difficulty,” he stated.
“But there’s no turning back, you say?” Kudlow responded.
“I’m just here trying to make government more efficient, eliminate waste and fraud,” Musk stated.
Tesla has lately confronted protests and vandalism. Police are investigating gunshots fired at a dealership in Oregon, and fireplace officers are analyzing a blaze that destroyed 4 Cybertrucks at a Tesla lot in Seattle.
At instances, the White Home has wanted to play cleanup for Musk, who had by no means labored in public service earlier than and has admitted that he’ll make errors alongside the best way.
For instance, Musk offered inflated estimates of fraud in authorities advantages like Social Safety on Monday, main Democrats to argue that he was planning cuts to the favored applications.
“Most of the federal spending is entitlements,” Musk stated within the interview. “That’s the big one to eliminate.”
“He was clearly talking about the WASTE in the programs,” the White Home posted.