<a class="post__byline-name-unhyphenated" href="https://www.pbs.org/newshour/author/chris-megerian-associated-press" itemscope itemtype="https://schema.org/Person" itemprop="author"> <span itemprop="name">Chris Megerian, Associated Press</span> </a> <a class="post__byline-name-hyphenated" href="https://www.pbs.org/newshour/author/chris-megerian-associated-press"> Chris Megerian, Associated Press </a> <br>Leave your feedback<br>WASHINGTON (AP) — President Donald Trump shopped for a new Tesla on the White House driveway on Tuesday, selecting a shiny red sedan <a href="https://www.pbs.org/newshour/politics/trump-says-he-will-buy-a-tesla-to-show-confidence-and-support-for-musk">to show his support for Elon Musk’s electric vehicle company</a> as it faces blowback because of his work to advance the president’s political agenda and downsize the federal government.<br><strong>Watch the president’s remarks in the video player above.</strong><br>“Wow,” Trump said as he eased his way into the driver’s seat of a Model S. “That’s beautiful.”<br><a href="https://www.pbs.org/newshour/politics/how-politics-are-affecting-musks-tesla-brand"><strong>READ MORE:</strong> How politics are affecting Musk’s Tesla brand</a><br>Musk got in on the passenger side and 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.<br>Trump told reporters that he would write a check for the car, which retails for roughly $80,000, and leave it at the White House so his staff can drive it. The president also said he hopes his purchase will boost Tesla, which is struggling with sagging sales and declining stock prices.<br>“It’s a great product,” he said. Referring to Musk, Trump said “we have to celebrate him.”<br><a href="https://www.pbs.org/newshour/politics/watch-live-trump-speaks-to-the-business-roundtable-as-markets-react-to-tariffs-uncertainty"><strong>WATCH LIVE:</strong> Trump speaks to the Business Roundtable as markets react to tariffs, uncertainty</a><br>It was the latest — and most unusual — example of how Trump has demonstrated loyalty to Musk, who spent heavily on his comeback campaign last year and has been a key figure in his second administration. Tesla’s stock price increased nearly 4 percent on Tuesday after dropping almost 48 percent since Trump took office in January.<br>The Republican president announced on social media overnight that he was going to buy a new Tesla as “a show of confidence and support for Elon Musk, a truly great American.”<br>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.<br>“Elon Musk is ‘putting it on the line’ in order to help our Nation, and he is doing a FANTASTIC JOB!” Trump wrote. “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.”<br><a href="https://www.pbs.org/newshour/politics/watch-elon-musk-talks-about-doge-cost-cutting-efforts-in-trumps-first-cabinet-meeting"><strong>WATCH:</strong> Elon Musk talks about DOGE cost-cutting efforts in Trump’s first Cabinet meeting</a><br>Others have also rallied to Musk’s defense. Alex Jones, a prominent conspiracy theorist, said that he bought a customized version of a Cybertruck that he’ll give away to a customer of his online store next month.<br>In addition to Tesla’s struggles, Musk has faced other challenges too. He said X was targeted by a “massive cyberattack” that disrupted the social media platform on Monday, and the last two test launches of his Starship rocket ended in explosions.<br>Presidents almost never drive for security reasons. Joe Biden got behind the wheel of an electric truck while promoting domestic manufacturing, and Barack Obama took a spin with Jerry Seinfeld in the White House driveway for a comedy show.<br>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.<br><a href="https://www.pbs.org/newshour/politics/nearly-40-percent-of-contracts-canceled-by-musks-doge-are-expected-to-produce-no-savings"><strong>READ MORE:</strong> Nearly 40 percent of contracts canceled by Musk’s DOGE are expected to produce no savings</a><br>During his first term, top adviser Kellyanne Conway urged people to show their support for Trump’s daughter Ivanka by purchasing her retail products.<br>“Go buy Ivanka’s stuff,” she said. “I’m going to give it a free commercial here.”<br>Trump’s wealth and business savvy is core to his political appeal. The president promoted his products while running for office last year, and he attached his name to a cryptocurrency meme coin that launched shortly before he took office.<br>However, it’s rare to see Trump use his own money to support an ally, no matter how important they are.<br>Musk is the world’s richest person, with billions of dollars in government contracts. He’s also exerting sweeping influence over Trump’s administration through the Department of Government Efficiency, or DOGE, and traveling frequently with the president.<br><a href="https://www.pbs.org/newshour/politics/federal-worker-who-went-rogue-against-doge-says-i-hope-that-it-lights-a-fire-under-people"><strong>READ MORE:</strong> Federal worker who went rogue against DOGE says ‘I hope that it lights a fire under people’</a><br>During an interview with the Fox Business Network on Monday, host Larry Kudlow asked Musk “how are you running your other businesses” while also advising Trump.<br>“With great difficulty,” he said.<br>“But there’s no turning back, you say?” Kudlow responded.<br>“I’m just here trying to make government more efficient, eliminate waste and fraud,” Musk said.<br>Tesla has recently faced protests and vandalism. Police are investigating gunshots fired at a dealership in Oregon, and fire officials are examining a blaze that destroyed four Cybertrucks at a Tesla lot in Seattle.<br>At times, the White House has needed to play cleanup for Musk, who had never worked in public service before and has admitted that he’ll make mistakes along the way.<br>For example, Musk presented inflated estimates of fraud in government benefits like Social Security on Monday, leading Democrats to argue that he was planning cuts to the popular programs.<br>“Most of the federal spending is entitlements,” Musk said in the interview. “That’s the big one to eliminate.”<br>The next morning, a White House account on X criticized news organizations as “lying hacks” and told Democrats to “spare us the fake outrage” about reducing benefits.<br>“He was clearly talking about the WASTE in the programs,” the White House posted.<br><span>By</span> Associated Press<br><span>By</span> Chris Megerian, Associated Press<br><span>By</span> Keketso Phakela, Gerald Imray, Associated Press<br><span>By</span> Bernard Condon, Associated Press<br><span>By</span> Zeke Miller, Associated Press<br><span>By</span> Associated Press<br><span>By</span> Chris Megerian, Associated Press<br><span>By</span> Brian Slodysko, Byron Tau, Associated Press<br><span>By</span> Ryan J. Foley, Associated Press<br><span>By</span> Tom Krisher, Bernard Condon, Associated Press<br> <a class="post__byline-name-unhyphenated" href="https://www.pbs.org/newshour/author/chris-megerian-associated-press" itemscope itemtype="https://schema.org/Person" itemprop="author"> <span itemprop="name">Chris Megerian, Associated Press</span> </a> <a class="post__byline-name-hyphenated" href="https://www.pbs.org/newshour/author/chris-megerian-associated-press"> Chris Megerian, Associated Press </a> <br> <span>Support Provided By:</span> <a href="https://help.pbs.org/support/solutions/articles/5000677869" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Learn more</a> <br> <span>Support PBS News:</span> <br>Subscribe to Here’s the Deal, our politics newsletter for analysis you won’t find anywhere else.<br>Thank you. Please check your inbox to confirm.<br>© 1996 - 2025 NewsHour Productions LLC. 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