Trump selects a brand new Tesla to indicate assist for Elon Musk

WASHINGTON (AP) — President Donald Trump shopped for a brand new Tesla on the White Home driveway on Tuesday, deciding on a shiny pink sedan to indicate his assist for Elon Musk ‘s electrical automobile firm because it faces blowback due to his work to advance the president’s political agenda and downsize the federal authorities.

“Wow,” Trump stated as he eased his means into the drivers seat of a Mannequin S. “That’s stunning.”

Musk obtained in on the passenger facet and joked about “giving the Secret Service a coronary heart assault” as they talked about how one can begin a automobile that may attain 60 miles per hour in a number of seconds.

Trump informed reporters that he would write a test for the automobile, which retails for roughly $80,000, and depart it on the White Home so his employees can drive it. The president additionally stated he hopes his buy will increase Tesla’s fortunes.

“It’s an ideal product,” he stated. Referring to Musk, Trump stated “we now have to have a good time him.”

It was the newest — and most uncommon — instance of how Trump has demonstrated loyalty to Musk, who spent closely on his comeback marketing campaign final 12 months and has been a key determine in his second administration. Musk is main Trump’s efforts to overtake federal businesses and scale back the workforce.

The Republican president introduced on social media early Tuesday that he was going to purchase a brand new Tesla as “a present of confidence and assist for Elon Musk, a very nice American.”

Musk continues to run Tesla — in addition to the social media platform X and the rocket producer SpaceX — whereas additionally serving as Trump’s adviser.

“Elon Musk is ‘placing it on the road’ so as to assist our Nation, and he’s doing a FANTASTIC JOB!” Trump wrote. “However the Radical Left Lunatics, as they typically do, try to illegally and collusively boycott Tesla, one of many World’s nice automakers, and Elon’s ‘child,’ so as to assault and do hurt to Elon, and every part he stands for.”

Others have additionally rallied to Musk’s protection. Alex Jones, a outstanding conspiracy theorist, stated that he purchased a personalized model of a Cybertruck that he’ll divulge to a buyer of his on-line retailer subsequent month.

Along with Tesla’s struggles, Musk has confronted different challenges too. He stated X was focused by a “large cyberattack” that disrupted the social media platform on Monday, and the final two take a look at launches of his Starship rocket led to explosions.

Tesla has confronted sagging gross sales and declining inventory costs as Musk devotes his time to overhauling and downsizing the federal authorities as an adviser to the president.

The White Home didn’t instantly elaborate on Trump’s plans for getting a Tesla, comparable to how the acquisition could be dealt with or the place the automobile could be saved.

Presidents virtually 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 between non-public and public pursuits.

Throughout his first time period, high adviser Kellyanne Conway urged folks to indicate their assist for Trump’s daughter Ivanka by buying her retail merchandise.

“Go purchase Ivanka’s stuff,” she stated. “I’m going to offer it a free industrial right here.”

Trump’s wealth and enterprise savvy is core to his political attraction. The president promoted his merchandise whereas operating for workplace final 12 months, and he connected his identify to a cryptocurrency meme coin that launched shortly earlier than he took workplace.

Nevertheless, it’s uncommon to see Trump use his personal cash to assist an ally, irrespective of how essential they’re.

Musk is the world’s richest particular person, with billions of {dollars} in authorities contracts. He’s additionally exerting sweeping affect over Trump’s administration via the Division of Authorities Effectivity, or DOGE, and touring incessantly with the president.

Throughout an interview with the Fox Enterprise Community on Monday, host Larry Kudlow requested Musk “how are you operating your different companies” whereas additionally advising Trump.

“With nice problem,” he stated.

“However there’s no turning again, you say?” Kudlow responded.

“I’m simply right here attempting to make authorities extra environment friendly, get rid of 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 introduced 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.

“A lot of the federal spending is entitlements,” Musk stated within the interview. “That’s the large one to get rid of.”

The subsequent morning, a White Home account on X criticized information organizations as “mendacity hacks” and informed Democrats to “spare us the pretend outrage” about decreasing advantages.

“He was clearly speaking concerning the WASTE within the applications,” the White Home posted.