President Donald Trump posed for photos next to a line of Tesla vehicles in front of the White House Tuesday after saying earlier on social media he would buy one as a “show of confidence and support for Elon Musk.”
“Musk is ‘putting it on the line’ in order to help our Nation, and he is doing a FANTASTIC JOB!” Trump said on Truth Social early Tuesday morning. “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.
Trump told reporters on Tuesday afternoon that the Tesla would be used at the White House and said that Musk has been treated “unfairly.”
“I think he’s been treated very unfairly by a very small group of people, and I just want people to know that he can’t be penalized for being a patriot,” Trump told media.
Photos: Trump poses next to line of Tesla vehicles at White House
Musk, the CEO of Tesla, has been a large part of the Trump administration’s efforts to make large cuts to the federal workforce as the unofficial leader of the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE).
Trump’s photo-op with the new electric car comes quickly after Tesla’s stock tumbled by more than 15% on Monday, continuing its plunge in recent weeks. The electric vehicle maker’s share prices have dropped more than 40% year-to-date.
During the Tuesday afternoon photo op, Trump was asked about the recent negative streak the stock market has seen.
“Markets are going to go up and they’re going to go down but, you know what, we have to rebuild our country,” Trump told reporters.
Contributing: Gabe Hauari and Phaedra Trethan, USA TODAY
Fernando Cervantes Jr. is a trending news reporter for USA TODAY. Reach him at fernando.cervantes@gannett.com and follow him on X @fern_cerv_.
