Trump to purchase ‘a brand new Tesla’ in help of Elon Musk amid DOGE criticism
Sign up for the daily Inside Washington email for exclusive US coverage and analysis sent to your inbox
Get our free Inside Washington email
Get our free Inside Washington email
President Donald Trump said he would buy a “brand-new Tesla” to support its embattled chief executive Elon Musk amid backlash for his influence over the federal government and the efforts of his cost-cutting task force, the Department of Government Efficiency.
Just after midnight on Tuesday, the president took a swipe at the “radical left lunatics” staging protests and attempting to punish Musk and his “baby,” Tesla.
“To Republicans, Conservatives, and all great Americans, Elon Musk is ‘putting it on the line’ in order to help our Nation, and he is doing a FANTASTIC JOB!,” Trump wrote on Truth Social.
“But the Radical Left Lunatics, as they often do, are trying to illegally and collusively boycott Tesla, one of the World’s great automakers, and Elon’s “baby,” in order to attack and do harm to Elon, and everything he stands for.”
In a display of solidarity with the tech billionaire, Trump said he would buy one of Musk’s electric vehicles on Tuesday – though the specific model wasn’t immediately clear.
“They tried to do it to me at the 2024 Presidential Ballot Box, but how did that work out? In any event, I’m going to buy a brand new Tesla tomorrow morning as a show of confidence and support for Elon Musk, a truly great American,” he continued. “Why should he be punished for putting his tremendous skills to work in order to help MAKE AMERICA GREAT AGAIN???”
Less than 15 minutes later, Musk responded on his social media platform X, tweeting: “Thank you, President @realDonaldTrump!”
“Tesla Takedown” protests have erupted across the U.S., with showrooms being besieged and charging sites vandalized, illustrating growing unease over Musk’s influence over the president.
Six protestors were arrested on Saturday at a Manhattan showroom Saturday, with others heard chanting outside: “We need clean air, not another billionaire!”
Musk commented on a video of a Tesla Cybertruck being set alight in Seattle on Sunday, tweeting: “This is crazy.”
The electric vehicle company’s share prices rose sharply after Election Day, but they plunged by 15 percent on Monday, returning to their lowest levels since Trump defeated then-Vice President Kamala Harris in November and their worst day since 2020. This makes it the worst-performing stock in the S&P 500.
The S&P 500 also had its worst day of the year, decreasing by more than three percent Monday, amid growing fears that a recession may be on the horizon, sparked by Trump’s tariffs and a looming global trade war.
Musk’s shift to right-wing politics appears to have alienated some Tesla buyers – generally perceived as high-earning, environmentally-conscious liberals who have turned to electric vehicles in efforts to reduce their carbon footprint.
The DOGE lead has become the face of Trump’s government-slashing efforts, which have promised to dismantle departments, enact massive federal worker layoffs and drastically cut spending.
The Trump administration has fired or offered buyouts to more than 100,000 federal employees so far.
Secretary of State said that 83 percent of US AID contracts had been terminated following a six-week review.
“Our hard-working staff who worked very long hours” alongside DOGE, deserve credit for this “overdue and historic reform,” Rubio wrote on X Monday.
Last week, newly confirmed Education Secretary Linda McMahon confirmed she believed her “mission” to secure a near-impossible three-fifths supermajority, or 60 votes, needed in the Senate to abolish the agency she has been charged to lead.
Source: independent.co.uk
