Trump buys a Tesla: Musk turns White House lawn into car showroom
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Donald Trump has staged a promotion for Elon Musk’s Tesla cars on the lawn of The White House, saying he will buy one himself, following tumbling share prices and vandalism of the vehicles by people angry at the billionaire's unelected involvement in government.
Read time: 4 mins
In brief…
- Donald Trump told TV cameras he would buy a Tesla car, which had been lined up outside The White House to promote Elon Musk’s vehicles, which have been vandalised across the US, as the company’s share price has tumbled.
- The News Agents say this stunt could backfire, with Tesla now becoming seen as a symbol of government, while Republican voters and MAGA supporters have traditionally preferred to buy gas-guzzling pick-up trucks.
- They add his work at Doge – which has left thousands jobless and affect benefits for many more – is responsible for the bad feeling towards Musk and Tesla.
What's the story?
"Honestly, where to begin? Where to bloody well begin on this."
Jon Sopel is lost for words. He's watching footage of Elon Musk showing off Tesla cars outside The White House to a prospective buyer.
That buyer is Donald Trump, the president of the United States, who is cooing over one of the electric vehicles and its computerised dashboard interface.
In front of TV cameras, Trump promised to buy one of the cars (which he cannot drive and has instead promised will be used by White House staff), following a huge drop in the price of Tesla shares, and vandalism and arson attacks on the vehicles across the US.
Trump has said that anyone attacking Tesla vehicles should be treated as a "domestic terrorist".
Amid a gradual decline in the US stock market since Trump became president, the price of Tesla shares have dropped by 15.4%.
During the Tesla showcase held outside The White House, Trump was overheard describing the $35,000 Tesla price as "pretty low" and praising finance deals which allows people to pay for the car purchase with $299 monthly installments.
"There are thousands, millions of Americans who've lost fortunes over the past week because of the collapse in the stock market," says Jon.
"Donald Trump is touting for the world's richest man because poor old Elon Musk is maybe struggling because he's seen the share price of Tesla go down."
Will Donald Trump supporters start buying Tesla cars?
Emily says thinking Musk’s display outside The White House is simply the president "helping out a mate" perhaps misses the bigger picture of what this stunt represents.
"Tesla is now – whether he likes it or not – the embodiment of government," she says.
"It's become this luxury status symbol of whether the government is going up or down."
Additionally, Tesla cars have never traditionally appealed to MAGA voters, who prefer gas-guzzling American motors to one from Musk's electric car collection.
Teslas were previously more popular with Democrat voters, but data shows these stats have shifted since Musk first began getting involved in US democracy.
"Any self respecting Republican yearns to own a Ford F-150 pickup truck," says Jon.
"That's the biggest selling car in America, and that is a MAGA car, and a Tesla is a Dem car."
Additionally, Trump was much less positive about electric vehicles before beginning his political bromance with Musk, previously saying "nobody wants to buy" them.
What's The News Agents' take?
Emily says the attacks on Tesla cars in America is the ultimate show of public opinion towards Elon Musk, and his unelected involvement in Trump's administration.
"It does suggest something of the strength of feeling people have towards Elon Musk," she says.
"His actions at Doge are affecting ordinary Americans. It's seeing American employees lose their jobs, veterans worry they're not going to get their social security benefits, or the elderly wondering if they're even going to get health care anymore.
“The Democrats are absolutely appalled at what Musk is doing, the power he's got, what he's doing in the department of government efficiency and all the rest of it,” Jon adds.
Emily questions whether Tesla’s steady decline is due not just to Democrats no longer wanting to be associated with the Musk brand, but something else also.
“It's not just that Democrats have stopped buying Teslas because they don't like Musk. It's because people – I think –are suddenly starting to question Musk's competency,” she says.
"This is coming back to haunt not just Musk, but also Trump, because they are absolutely aligned, and the Tesla’s become the symbol of that."
Listen to the latest episode of The News Agents.
