US President Donald Trump shopped for a new Tesla on Tuesday and even took it for a spin with company CEO Elon Musk by his side. This comes a day after Trump came out in support for his billionaire friend and announced his plans to 'buy a brand-new Tesla car'.
Trump chose a shiny red sedan even as Musk's electric vehicle company faces blowback because of his work to advance the President's political agenda and downsize the federal government.
"Wow," the US President said as he eased his way into the driver's seat of a Model S. "That's beautiful,' he added in praise of the brand new car. Musk, who was on the passenger seat, joked about 'giving the Secret Service a heart attack' as they talked about how to start a vehicle that can reach 60 miles (95 kilometers) per hour in a few seconds.
Posting pictures of Trump and Musk with the red Tesla, the White House wrote, "Get in, patriots—we have a country to save".
Get in, patriotswe have a country to save.@ElonMusk helps President Trump pick his new @Tesla! pic.twitter.com/VxdKMsOBjWThe White House (@WhiteHouse) March 11, 2025
The US President said he is buying the Tesla full price and told reporters that he would write a cheque for the car, which retails for roughly $80,000. He went on to add that he will leave the beautiful red Tesla at the White House so his staff can drive it!
"I don't want a discount," Trump said. "(Musk) would give me discount, but if I do a discount, they're gonna say, 'Oh, I got benefits.'"
"It's a great product," he said praising the car while hoping that his purchase will boost Tesla, which is struggling with sagging sales and declining stock prices.
Referring to Musk, Trump said "we have to celebrate him".
This comes as the latest and most unusual example of how Trump has demonstrated loyalty to the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) head, who spent heavily on his comeback campaign last year. Tesla's stock price increased nearly 4% on Tuesday after dropping almost 48% since Trump took office in January.
Musk continues to run Tesla — as well as the social media platform X and the rocket manufacturer SpaceX — while also serving as Trump's adviser.
“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 yesterday. "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," he added.
Speaking later Tuesday at a business roundtable event, Trump said that Musk "shouldn't be scarified or have to suffer because he wants to help the government".
Presidents almost never drive for security reasons. Former President Joe Biden got behind the wheel of an electric truck while promoting domestic manufacturing. Barack Obama too took a spin with Jerry Seinfeld in the White House driveway for a comedy show.
But regardless of the practicality of Trump's purchase, his overnight announcement about buying a Tesla represented another step in how the President has blurred lines between private and public interests.
Of late, Tesla has faced protests and vandalism. Investigating is underway after gunshots were fired at a dealership in Oregon, and fire officials are examining a blaze that destroyed four Cybertrucks at a Tesla lot in Seattle.
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