U.S. President Donald Trump announced Tuesday that he will purchase a “brand new Tesla” to show support for Tesla CEO Elon Musk, his top campaign donor and advisor.
Posting on his Truth Social platform just after midnight, Trump praised Musk’s contributions to the country.
“Elon Musk is ‘putting it on the line’ to help our Nation, and he is doing a FANTASTIC JOB!,” Trump wrote.
He accused “Radical Left Lunatics” of orchestrating an “illegal and collusive” boycott of Tesla in an attempt to harm Musk and his company.
“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 declared.
“Why should he be punished for putting his tremendous skills to work to help MAKE AMERICA GREAT AGAIN???”
Musk, the world’s richest person, responded on X (formerly Twitter), thanking Trump for his endorsement.
Musk’s Government Role Faces Pushback
Since returning to the White House in January, Trump appointed Musk to lead the newly created Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), a role that allows him to oversee federal budget cuts and agency downsizing.
However, Musk’s aggressive cost-cutting measures have been met with significant resistance, including legal challenges, protests, and pushback from lawmakers.
Despite Trump’s strong backing, polls indicate that Musk remains unpopular among the broader American public. His cuts to government programs have also fueled tensions between Republican lawmakers and their constituents at town hall meetings.
Additionally, Tesla investors have expressed concerns over potential consumer boycotts due to Musk’s political activities and close alignment with Trump. Some Tesla owners have even voiced regret over purchasing the company’s electric vehicles due to Musk’s polarizing views and online rhetoric.
Tesla Stock and Sales Decline Amid Controversy
Tesla shares dropped more than 15% on Monday as uncertainty surrounding Trump’s trade policies rattled financial markets. The Nasdaq, heavily weighted with tech stocks, fell 4% due to declines in major companies like Apple, Amazon, and Tesla.
The automaker has also struggled with declining sales in Europe, particularly in Germany, where Musk’s support for far-right groups such as the AfD party has triggered backlash. Official data showed that Tesla’s German sales fell more than 76% year-over-year in February, while overall European Union sales nearly halved in January.
Amid growing tensions, a Tesla dealership in France was targeted in an arson attack earlier this month, and other company facilities in the U.S. have been vandalized.
Since mid-December, Tesla has lost over one-third of its market value as Musk continues to align himself with Trump.
Cyberattack Targets Musk’s Social Media Platform
Meanwhile, Musk reported Monday that his social media platform, X, had suffered a major cyberattack. While it remains unclear whether the attack was politically motivated, some speculate that Musk’s decision to drastically cut staff at the former Twitter may have left the platform vulnerable to security breaches.
