President Trump hosted an exclusive car demonstration at the White House on Tuesday afternoon.
The only company represented: Tesla. The only purpose: Helping Elon Musk.
With Tesla facing a reaction to Mr Musk’s role in Trump’s administration, the President said he wanted to buy one of the company’s electric vehicles. But Mr Trump, always a seller, didn’t just want to buy a car. He wanted to laugh and help his friend, who is also happening to be Tesla’s chief executive.
The 30-minute Confab was part of the press conference, part of the car commercial, as Mr Trump was swinging between the answers to questions-related to the stock market, Canadian invoices and the war in Ukraine-and tasting five different Tesla cars.
“What I like is this,” Mr Trump said, showing a bright red S, which costs about $ 80,000. “And I want the same color.” (Mr. Musk, who stands next to the president, apparently tried to sell him to a cybertruck, saying, “This is a bulletproof.”)
It was an excellent president’s scene using the White House scene to boost sales for a friend and top donor. And he came as Mr Musk has marked Trump consultants in recent days that he wants to put $ 100 million in groups controlled by the Trump political company, according to people with knowledge of the matter.
The event became even more surreal, because Mr Trump has been electric vehicles for years. On Christmas Day in 2023, he published in social media that electric cars should “rot in hell”.
He has said that cars cost too much and cannot drive far enough without having to be charged. But the second point should not be a problem for Mr Trump, who said Tuesday that the secret service would not allow him to drive the car.
“I haven’t drove a car for a long time, and I like to drive cars,” he told reporters. “But I will have it in the White House and let my staff use it.”
Mr Trump said he would pay with control and that he did not want a discount.
Most presidents avoid the promotion or approval of products because executive officials are prohibited from doing so on behalf of friends and relatives. In Mr Trump’s first term, one of his advisers, Kellyanne Conway, scolds for violating these rules when he called on people to buy Ivanka Trump fashion products.
But these rules do not apply to the president. Tesla’s shares have increased slightly on Tuesday, although they remain in total since December.
“President Trump made the personal decision to buy a Tesla at a purchase rate,” said Harrison Fields, a White House spokesman.
Mr Trump said he just wanted to help Mr Musk, who is leading his campaign to reduce the federal workforce.
“I think it has been very unjustly treated by a very small group of people,” Trump said. “And I just want people to know that he can’t be punished to be a patriot.”
Theodore Schleifer and Maggie Haberman They contributed reports.
