President Donald Trump climbed into a Tesla outside of the White House Tuesday afternoon and said he will be purchasing one for full price, in a show of support for billionaire Tesla CEO Elon Musk, who has faced legal challenges and criticism—including reportedly from Trump’s own cabinet members—over his role as Trump’s cost-cutter-in-chief.
US President Donald Trump and Tesla CEO Elon Musk speak to the press as they sit in a Tesla vehicle on the South Portico of the White House on March 11, 2025 in Washington, DC.
AFP via Getty Images
Key Takeaways
- Trump teased he would buy a Tesla late Monday night in a Truth Social post in which he defended Musk, saying he is “‘putting it on the line’ in order to help our Nation, and he is doing a FANTASTIC JOB!”
- In the post, Trump criticised Democrats for “trying to illegally and collusively boycott Tesla … in order to attack and do harm to Elon, and everything he stands for,” saying he would buy “a brand new Tesla tomorrow morning as a show of confidence and support for Elon Musk, a truly great American.”
- Trump viewed five Tesla vehicles, including a Cybertruck, alongside Musk Tuesday afternoon, climbed into the driver’s seat to see the inside—remarking it was “beautiful” and “everything’s computer”—and answered questions from the press.
- He said he will be buying one to have at the White House for his staff to use, adding he “like(s) to drive cars” but is “not allowed to,” likely referring to the Secret Service’s reported policy that past and current presidents cannot drive on public roads.
Trump, joined by Musk and his son X Æ A-Xii, delivers remarks next to a Tesla Model Y, a Cyber Truck and a Model S on the South Lawn of the White House.
Getty Images
Trump and Musk sit in a Model S on the South Lawn of the White House after Trump spoke out against calls for a boycott of Elon Musk’s companies and said he would purchase a Tesla vehicle in what he calls a “show of confidence and support” for Elon Musk.
Getty Images
Trump and Musk speak to the press as they stand next to a Tesla Cybertruck on the South Portico of the White House.
AFP via Getty Images
Trump speaks to the press as he exits a Tesla vehicle after sitting in it on the South Portico of the White House. Musk explained the Tesla to Trump by saying, “it’s a like a golf cart that goes really fast.”
AFP via Getty Images
Crucial Quote
When asked about the violence against Tesla dealerships and whether those people should be labeled “domestic terrorists,” Trump said, “I will do that … I’m going to stop them … They’re harming a great American company.”
Why Does Trump Want To Show Tesla Support?
The company has faced struggles since Musk took on his role in the Trump administration: Vandalism against Tesla dealerships and cars has been reported across the country, there were a series of protests in recent days against the company and sales of the electric vehicles in Europe fell at the start of the year.
Tesla faced its worst daily loss since September on Monday as Wall Street broadly saw shaky investor sentiment amid Trump threatening tariffs, and the company wiped out what was once a 91% rally post-Trump’s election. Meanwhile, Musk has faced some pushback for his role leading Trump’s Department of Government Efficiency, with Secretary of State Marco Rubio reportedly arguing with the billionaire at the White House last week—though Trump denied there was a blowup.
Is Musk Still Running Tesla?
Musk is Tesla’s CEO, though he said in an interview on Fox Business that aired Monday he is running his various businesses—like X, SpaceX and Tesla—“with great difficulty” while he spends time working as a special government employee in the Trump administration. Tesla traded down more than 15% on Monday and saw its share price drop to a low it hadn’t seen since Oct. 23, but Musk said in a tweet the company “will be fine long-term.”
Forbes Valuation
We estimate Musk has a net worth of about $325.1 billion as of Tuesday afternoon, making him the wealthiest person in the world. We estimate Trump has a net worth of about $4.6 billion.
Tangent
At the White House Tesla viewing, Musk announced Tesla would be doubling its output of vehicles in the U.S. in the next two years “as a function of the great policies of President Trump and his administration, and as an act of faith in America.”
This article was originally published on forbes.com and all figures are in USD.
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