President Trump hosted an unique automobile present on the White Home on Tuesday afternoon.
The one firm represented: Tesla. The one objective: serving to Elon Musk.
With Tesla going through a backlash over Mr. Musk’s function within the Trump administration, the president stated he needed to purchase one of many firm’s electrical automobiles. However Mr. Trump, at all times a salesman, didn’t simply wish to buy a automobile. He needed to hawk it and assist out his good friend, who additionally occurs to be Tesla’s chief government.
The 30-minute confab was half information convention, half automobile business as Mr. Trump oscillated between answering questions — in regards to the inventory market, Canadian tariffs and the conflict in Ukraine — and attempting out 5 totally different Tesla automobiles.
“The one I like is that one,” Mr. Trump stated, pointing at a vivid crimson Mannequin S, which prices roughly $80,000. “And I would like that very same colour.” (Mr. Musk, who was standing beside the president, seemingly tried to promote him on a Cybertruck, saying: “That is bulletproof.”)
It was a rare scene of a president utilizing the backdrop of the White Home to spice up gross sales for a good friend and high donor. It was made all of the extra surreal as a result of Mr. Trump has for years bashed electrical automobiles. On Christmas Day in 2023, he posted on social media that electrical automobiles ought to “ROT IN HELL.”
He has stated the automobiles price an excessive amount of and can’t drive far sufficient while not having to be charged. However the second level shouldn’t be an issue now for Mr. Trump, who stated on Tuesday that the Secret Service wouldn’t permit him to drive the automobile.
“I haven’t pushed a automobile in a very long time, and I like to drive automobiles,” he instructed reporters. “However I’m going to have it on the White Home, and I’m going to let my employees use it.”
Mr. Trump stated he would pay with a verify and that he didn’t desire a low cost.
Most presidents keep away from selling or endorsing merchandise as a result of government department workers are prohibited from doing so on behalf of associates and kinfolk. In Mr. Trump’s first time period, certainly one of his advisers, Kellyanne Conway, was reprimanded for violating these guidelines when she urged folks to purchase Ivanka Trump’s vogue merchandise.
However these guidelines don’t apply to the president. Shares of Tesla rose barely on Tuesday, although they continue to be down total since December.
Mr. Trump stated he merely needed to assist Mr. Musk, who’s main his marketing campaign to slash the federal work drive.
“I believe he’s been handled very unfairly by a really small group of individuals,” Mr. Trump stated. “And I simply need folks to know that he can’t be penalized for being a patriot.”
