White House Readies Prominent Acquisition of Tesla Vehicle
On Tuesday, aides to Trump were coordinating the delivery of a Tesla to the White House.
TroibNews 
President Donald Trump transformed the White House South Lawn into a temporary showcase for Tesla vehicles on Tuesday, an unusual move aimed at supporting a prominent campaign donor who currently has considerable influence in federal affairs.
"I think he's been treated very unfairly by a very small group of people," Trump remarked while examining five Tesla models displayed in front of the South Portico. "And I just want people to know that he can't be penalized for being a patriot."
The president reiterated his intention to buy a Tesla as a gesture of solidarity with Musk, who has been tasked with downsizing the federal workforce. Musk has faced growing criticism for his actions, with lawmakers and several of Trump's own Cabinet secretaries denouncing the cuts as indiscriminate and harmful.
Musk's prominent involvement has also impacted Tesla, which has experienced a significant decline in stock value in recent weeks due to backlash over the extensive job reductions.
"You should cherish him," Trump stated, standing next to Musk. "We have to take care of our high IQ people, because we don't have too many of them."
Later, Trump expressed hope that the spontaneous promotional occasion would boost Tesla's sales.
This event followed Trump’s defense of Musk on Truth Social, where he lauded him as “doing a FANTASTIC JOB” and indicated plans to acquire a “brand new Tesla tomorrow morning as a show of confidence.”
White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt confirmed earlier on Tuesday that Trump would buy the car at "full market price," although she refrained from commenting on whether he would make the purchase on-site. When asked which model he was interested in, Trump pointed to a red sedan.
If Trump proceeds with the purchase, it would mark an unprecedented instance of a president actively working to support a company led by one of his top advisors and financial backers. Musk contributed nearly $300 million to Trump’s election efforts. His subsequent position as a special government employee has raised numerous ethical questions, allowing him to maintain control over several private businesses while overseeing significant cuts to the federal government.
"At the very least, this looks like the president of the United States is using the presidency to try to directly benefit a billionaire in the government," commented Jordan Libowitz, vice president for communications at the nonprofit Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington. "It plays further into this issue of, what’s Elon Musk getting for his investment in Donald Trump?"
Several of Musk’s companies, including Tesla and the satellite internet service Starlink, compete for substantial contracts managed by federal agencies that he aims to reform.
"Tesla is the plurality, if not the majority, of Elon Musk’s net worth and it has been crashing over the last month or so, so it’s not surprising that Elon Musk would want some kind of big positive press thing to help the stock," Libowitz added. "I just couldn’t tell you what the American people get out of it."
Dasha Burns contributed to this article.
Lucas Dupont contributed to this report for TROIB News
"I think he's been treated very unfairly by a very small group of people," Trump remarked while examining five Tesla models displayed in front of the South Portico. "And I just want people to know that he can't be penalized for being a patriot."
The president reiterated his intention to buy a Tesla as a gesture of solidarity with Musk, who has been tasked with downsizing the federal workforce. Musk has faced growing criticism for his actions, with lawmakers and several of Trump's own Cabinet secretaries denouncing the cuts as indiscriminate and harmful.
Musk's prominent involvement has also impacted Tesla, which has experienced a significant decline in stock value in recent weeks due to backlash over the extensive job reductions.
"You should cherish him," Trump stated, standing next to Musk. "We have to take care of our high IQ people, because we don't have too many of them."
Later, Trump expressed hope that the spontaneous promotional occasion would boost Tesla's sales.
This event followed Trump’s defense of Musk on Truth Social, where he lauded him as “doing a FANTASTIC JOB” and indicated plans to acquire a “brand new Tesla tomorrow morning as a show of confidence.”
White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt confirmed earlier on Tuesday that Trump would buy the car at "full market price," although she refrained from commenting on whether he would make the purchase on-site. When asked which model he was interested in, Trump pointed to a red sedan.
If Trump proceeds with the purchase, it would mark an unprecedented instance of a president actively working to support a company led by one of his top advisors and financial backers. Musk contributed nearly $300 million to Trump’s election efforts. His subsequent position as a special government employee has raised numerous ethical questions, allowing him to maintain control over several private businesses while overseeing significant cuts to the federal government.
"At the very least, this looks like the president of the United States is using the presidency to try to directly benefit a billionaire in the government," commented Jordan Libowitz, vice president for communications at the nonprofit Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington. "It plays further into this issue of, what’s Elon Musk getting for his investment in Donald Trump?"
Several of Musk’s companies, including Tesla and the satellite internet service Starlink, compete for substantial contracts managed by federal agencies that he aims to reform.
"Tesla is the plurality, if not the majority, of Elon Musk’s net worth and it has been crashing over the last month or so, so it’s not surprising that Elon Musk would want some kind of big positive press thing to help the stock," Libowitz added. "I just couldn’t tell you what the American people get out of it."
Dasha Burns contributed to this article.
Lucas Dupont contributed to this report for TROIB News
