WASHINGTON (AP) — President Donald Trump made an eye-catching purchase on the White House driveway: a shiny red Tesla Model S. This was part of his support for Elon Musk during tough times for the electric vehicle company.
As Trump slid into the driver’s seat, he remarked, “Wow, that’s beautiful.” Musk, riding shotgun, joked about making the Secret Service nervous, while they discussed the car’s impressive speed.
Trump announced he would pay around $80,000 for the car and leave it for staff use at the White House. He hopes that this purchase will help Tesla improve its sales.
Earlier that day, Trump expressed his confidence in Musk on social media, calling him a “great American.” Musk is not only the head of Tesla but also manages other ventures like the social media platform X and SpaceX, while advising Trump in government matters.
Trump praised Musk’s efforts, claiming he’s “putting it on the line” for the nation amid challenges, including a cyberattack on X and recent rocket launch failures at SpaceX. Despite these issues, Musk continues to face political opposition, with Trump alleging that some are trying to undermine Tesla and Musk’s initiatives.
Others, such as conspiracy theorist Alex Jones, have also shown public support for Musk, with plans to give away a custom Cybertruck through his business.
Amid Tesla’s sales struggles and Musk’s busy schedule, the White House hasn’t detailed how the purchase would be managed. Generally, presidents don’t drive for security reasons, but there have been exceptions in the past, like Joe Biden promoting an electric truck or Barack Obama during a comedy segment.
This latest move adds to the series of ways Trump blends private and public interests. During his first term, advisers even promoted products from Trump’s daughter, Ivanka. Trump’s financial background appeals to his supporters, and he has used his own money to stand by friends like Musk, who has a significant impact on the government through his advisory role.
During a recent interview, Musk joked about the challenges of managing multiple businesses while advising Trump. He stated his goal is to make the government more efficient while addressing waste and fraud.
However, Musk has faced criticism, particularly after he made inflated claims about government benefit fraud, sparking concerns about potential cuts to programs like Social Security. In response, a White House account defended Musk, clarifying that he was referring to waste within the system.
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