President Trump hosted an unique automobile present on the White Home on Tuesday afternoon.
The one firm represented: Tesla. The one function: serving to Elon Musk.
With Tesla dealing with a backlash over Mr. Musk’s function within the Trump administration, the president mentioned he wished to purchase one of many firm’s electrical automobiles. However Mr. Trump, at all times a salesman, didn’t simply wish to buy a automobile. He wished to hawk it and assist out his pal, who additionally occurs to be Tesla’s chief government.
The 30-minute confab was half information convention, half automobile business as Mr. Trump oscillated between answering questions — concerning the inventory market, Canadian tariffs and the warfare in Ukraine — and making an attempt out 5 completely different Tesla automobiles.
“The one I like is that one,” Mr. Trump mentioned, pointing at a vivid pink Mannequin S, which prices roughly $80,000. “And I would like that very same shade.” (Mr. Musk, who was standing beside the president, seemingly tried to promote him on a Cybertruck, saying: “That is bulletproof.”)
It was a rare scene of a president utilizing the backdrop of the White Home to spice up gross sales for a pal and prime donor. And it got here as Mr. Musk has signaled to Trump advisers in current days that he desires to place $100 million into teams managed by the Trump political operation, in keeping with folks with information of the matter.
The occasion was made all of the extra surreal as a result of Mr. Trump has for years bashed electrical automobiles. On Christmas Day in 2023, he posted on social media that electrical automobiles ought to “ROT IN HELL.”
He has mentioned the automobiles value an excessive amount of and can’t drive far sufficient with no need to be charged. However the second level shouldn’t be an issue now for Mr. Trump, who mentioned on Tuesday that the Secret Service wouldn’t permit him to drive the automobile.
“I haven’t pushed a automobile in a very long time, and I like to drive automobiles,” he advised reporters. “However I’m going to have it on the White Home, and I’m going to let my workers use it.”
Mr. Trump mentioned he would pay with a verify and that he didn’t desire a low cost.
Most presidents keep away from selling or endorsing merchandise as a result of government department workers are prohibited from doing so on behalf of associates and kin. In Mr. Trump’s first time period, considered one of his advisers, Kellyanne Conway, was reprimanded for violating these guidelines when she urged folks to purchase Ivanka Trump’s vogue merchandise.
However these guidelines don’t apply to the president. Shares of Tesla rose barely on Tuesday, although they continue to be down general since December.
“President Trump made the private resolution to purchase a Tesla, at a market charge,” Harrison Fields, a White Home spokesman, mentioned in an announcement.
Mr. Trump mentioned he merely wished to assist Mr. Musk, who’s main his marketing campaign to slash the federal work power.
“I feel he’s been handled very unfairly by a really small group of individuals,” Mr. Trump mentioned. “And I simply need folks to know that he can’t be penalized for being a patriot.”
Theodore Schleifer and Maggie Haberman contributed reporting.
