After Americans boycotted Tesla to express their opposition to Elon Musk’s government takeover, President Donald Trump temporarily transformed the White House lawn into a Tesla car show.
Recently, Trump has expressed disgruntlement at Americans’ right to protest and boycott. He even claimed that pro-Palestinian college protests were “illegal” and would result in student suspension or even deportation for international students. However, the Tesla boycotts seem to have gotten under his skin even more than student protests. In a social media rant, he insisted the Tesla boycott is “illegal” while expressing his desire to buy a Tesla in a show of support for Musk. Trump even went as far as to state he’ll now prosecute any acts of vandalism or attacks on Tesla dealerships as “domestic terrorism.” The President has also joined MAGA in attempting to paint Musk, the wealthiest man in the world who paid his way into an unelected government position, as a martyr. They’ve expressed distress that Musk is being treated “unfairly” and might lose the tiniest percentage of his $319.6 billion fortune as he snatches away funds from children with cancer and eyes low-income Americans’ Social Security, Medicaid, and Medicare benefits.
Trump felt that billionaire Musk should be adding to his personal riches as he fired thousands of federal workers, left government departments understaffed, and cut childhood research funds, so he turned the White House lawn into a Tesla promotion.
Trump transforms White House into Tesla car show
Buying a Tesla wasn’t a big enough show of support for Musk, as Trump ordered an entire procession of Teslas to line the White House lawn. Trump then came outside and made a big show of “inspecting” the Teslas and repeating compliments like “beautiful” and “wow” while Musk eagerly followed him around. He marveled over every aspect of the cars, including expressing shock that “everything’s computer.” The pair were spotted posing for photos in front of the Teslas and taking them for test drives.
Of course, the ordeal was clearly meant to be a promotional event for Musk, who livestreamed the entire thing on social media. Such a scene at the White House is unprecedented since federal regulations prohibit employees from using their office to endorse, promote, or advertise products for their personal gain or the “private gain of friends, relatives, or persons” they’re affiliated with. This incident is particularly ethically concerning, given that Musk was one of Trump’s biggest campaign donors. Not only was Musk granted a position of power for his contribution, but now the President of the United States is using the White House to promote his personal business interests. As one user commented on X, the spectacle highlights “dystopian levels of corruption.”
Trump seems to think he’s owning the liberals with his Tesla stunt, but all he’s doing is publicly flaunting his corruption. He’s sending a message to the world’s billionaires that hefty donations earn not just political favors but also business favors and free advertising from the sitting president himself. Shortly after the Tesla car show, reports alleged that Musk is now seeking to pour $100 million into Trump-backed political groups. A donation of this scale from a White House staffer is unheard of. Trump isn’t just doing Tesla an ethically questionable favor but also showing America that he can, and perhaps already has, been bought.
Published: Mar 12, 2025 11:55 am