Former US Vice President Kamala Harris said then President Joe Biden, made a “big mistake” by not inviting Tesla CEO Elon Musk to a 2021 White House event on electric vehicles. The event, held in August 2021, included executives from General Motors, Ford, and Stellantis, but Musk was notably absent despite Tesla being the nation’s leading EV manufacturer.
“I thought it was a big mistake”
“I write in the book that I thought it was a big mistake to not invite Elon Musk when we did a big EV event,” Harris told Fortune on Tuesday. She referenced her memoir, 107 Days, in which she also criticized Biden for initially running for re-election despite his health struggles.
Tesla’s role overlooked
“I mean, here he is, the major American manufacturer of extraordinary innovation in this space,” Harris said of Musk, who also leads SpaceX. She added that Presidents should “put aside political loyalties” when recognizing technological innovation.
Political and labor context
Musk’s exclusion was widely seen as a gesture to support the United Auto Workers and organized labor, as Tesla plants are not unionized. Harris wrote in her book that while the administration’s choice “sent a message about Musk’s anti-union stance,” she personally felt that “excluding him as the top player in the field simply doesn’t make sense.”
Impact on Musk and politics
“So, I thought that was a mistake, and I don’t know Elon Musk, but I have to assume that that was something that hit him hard and had an impact on his perspective,” Harris said. She noted in her memoir that Musk never forgave the snub, which may have influenced his later political support.
From EV snub to Trump endorsement
Harris indicated that Musk went on to endorse then former President Donald Trump in the 2024 election and contributed roughly $300 million toward Republican campaign efforts. “Musk never forgave it,” she wrote, underlining the long-term consequences of the White House decision.
