In a dramatic turn of events, President Trump emerged in a Tesla car outside the White House on Tuesday afternoon, breaking from the traditional presidential motorcade of black SUVs. Five Teslas were waiting for Trump after he had said on Monday evening that he planned to purchase one of the electric vehicles to stand in support of his close advisor and billionaire Elon Musk, head of Tesla.
Trump was spotted entering the front seat of a red Model S, clearly impressed with the car. “That’s lovely,” he said, showing his endorsement of the company. The move is unusual for an incumbent president to overtly endorse a private enterprise, and there has been criticism regarding potential ethics abuses. The White House has not addressed inquiries about whether ethics rules were followed in this case.
Trump’s purchase of Tesla points to the increasing power of Musk, who is already a central figure in government as CEO of SpaceX and Tesla and leading the administration’s drive for efficiency. Musk’s firms, such as Tesla, receive large federal contracts even as there are budget reductions across government agencies.
Ethics experts have raised concerns about the blurred lines between Musk’s private sector interests and his government role. Richard Painter, previous White House ethics attorney for President George W. Bush, said that the public endorsement of Tesla would be viewed as a breaking of federal guidelines, which don’t allow the use of public positions for personal enrichment. While those guidelines don’t extend to the president, Painter said that these actions would breed the appearance of favoritism, implying Tesla is the “winner” in government favoritism.
Aside from his purchase, Trump has rolled back Biden-era measures aimed at encouraging the adoption of electric vehicles. The president announced he would use a check to pay for the Tesla and make it available to White House personnel. Tesla, which has been experiencing falling sales in the U.S. and overseas in recent times, is still being criticized by some, but Trump came to the defense of Musk, referring to him as a patriot and commending his efforts with Tesla.
With the contentious action, Trump continues to bring attention to his connection with Musk, as the two powerful leaders mold both public and private spheres.
