President Trump organized an unique automotive exhibition on the White Home on Tuesday afternoon.
The one firm represented: Tesla. The one aim: to assist Elon Musk.
Tesla being confronted with a response on the position of Mr. Musk within the Trump administration, the president stated that he wished to purchase one of many firm’s electrical autos. However Mr. Trump, nonetheless a vendor, did not simply wish to purchase a automobile. He wished to sneak him and assist his pal, who additionally occurs to be Tesla’s basic supervisor.
The 30 -minute Confab was a part of the press convention, partly business as Mr. Trump oscillated between answering questions – on the inventory market, Canadian costs and the warfare in Ukraine – and making an attempt 5 totally different Tesla vehicles.
“The one I like is that this one,” stated Trump, pointing a shiny pink mannequin, which prices round $ 80,000. “And I need this similar colour.” (Mr. Musk, who was standing subsequent to the president, apparently tried to promote him on a cybertruck, saying: “It is bullets.”)
It was a unprecedented scene of a president utilizing the backdrop of the White Home to stimulate the gross sales of a pal and a greater donor. And it got here like M. Musk reported to Trump advisers in recent days That he needs to place $ 100 million in teams managed by Trump’s political operation, in accordance with folks figuring out the problem.
The occasion has been produced all of the extra surreal as a result of Mr. Trump has had electrical autos for years. On Christmas Day in 2023, he posted on social networks that electrical vehicles ought to “rot in hell”.
He stated vehicles are too costly and can’t drive far sufficient with out the have to be billed. However the second level shouldn’t be an issue now for Mr. Trump, who stated on Tuesday that the key companies wouldn’t permit him to drive the automobile.
“I have never pushed a automobile for a very long time and I like driving vehicles,” he advised journalists. “However I’ll have it within the White Home, and I’ll let my workers use it.”
Trump stated that he would pay with a test and that he didn’t need a low cost.
Most presidents keep away from selling or approving merchandise as a result of workers of govt branches are prohibited from doing so on the title of pals and fogeys. Within the first time period of Mr. Trump, one in every of his advisers, Kellyanne Conway, has been reprimanded For having violated these guidelines when she urged folks to purchase Ivanka Trump’s vogue merchandise.
However these guidelines don’t apply to the president. Tesla’s actions elevated barely on Tuesday, though they’ve been total since December.
Trump stated he simply wished to assist Musk, who heads his marketing campaign to cut back the federal workforce.
“I feel he was handled very unfairly by a really small group of individuals,” stated Trump. “And I simply need folks to know that he can’t be penalized to be a patriot.”
Théodore Grinder And Maggie Haberman Contributed experiences.
