‘Safest, state-of-the-art, affordable’: Did Elon Musk hand Trump a ‘Tesla ad’ script amid stock plunge?
World: Photographers captured Trump holding note cards detailing the price and specifications of various Tesla models as he inspected the vehicles on display.
US President Donald Trump was handed a pre-written sales pitch by Elon Musk during a Tesla-buying event at the White House on Tuesday, a move widely seen as an effort to promote the electric car company amid growing backlash against Musk’s role in a controversial government restructuring.
'They gave me notes'
Photographers captured Trump holding note cards detailing the price and specifications of various Tesla models as he inspected the vehicles on display. The president openly admitted the words were not his own. “They gave me notes,” he said, shuffling through the papers before stepping into one of the cars.
Photos of the document revealed phrases such as “SAFEST car,” “state of the art,” and “affordable,” suggesting Musk had provided Trump with a script to bolster Tesla’s image.
The publicity stunt, which critics likened to an unpaid "Tesla advert," followed a sharp 15% drop in Tesla’s stock on Monday, the steepest decline in five years. The plunge has been largely attributed to Musk’s ties to Trump and the controversial Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE).
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Musk is ‘putting it on the line’in order to help our nation: Trump
Trump, hoping to demonstrate support for his billionaire ally, praised Musk as a “truly great American.” He appeared unconcerned about using his position to promote Tesla, writing on Truth Social, “Elon Musk is ‘putting it on the line’ in order to help our Nation, and he is doing a FANTASTIC JOB!”
He went on to accuse political opponents of unfairly targeting Musk and Tesla. “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.”
While Trump ultimately did not follow the script word for word, he enthusiastically took on the role of car salesman, sitting behind the wheel of a Tesla as he praised its features.
Trump's tariffs' effect on Tesla
However, despite his promotional efforts, Trump’s policies have so far hindered electric vehicle sales. He revoked a 2021 order by former president Joe Biden that aimed for half of all car sales to be electric by 2030 and froze unspent government funds for EV charging stations.
Additionally, Trump’s tariff policies could negatively impact Tesla. In January, Tesla’s chief financial officer, Vaibhav Taneja, warned that tariffs on parts sourced from Canada and Mexico could affect the company’s profitability.
Beyond Tesla, Musk’s other ventures have also faced setbacks. SpaceX has suffered two consecutive failures in launching its Starship rocket, while its social media platform, X, experienced a widespread outage on Monday.
(With inputs from agencies)
