Trump may offload Tesla bought to support Musk after public fallout
Donald Trump may now sell or give away a Tesla he previously bought in a show of support for Elon Musk, a White House official said Friday, following a dramatic public falling out between the US president and his former billionaire advisor.
The red electric vehicle — which retails for around $80,000 — was still parked on the White House grounds as of Friday, according to an AFP reporter, just a day after tensions between Trump and Musk exploded into public view.
“He’s thinking about it, yes,” a senior White House official told AFP when asked whether Trump planned to offload the Tesla.
Tesla shares plummeted over 14 percent on Thursday amid the row, wiping roughly $100 billion off the company’s market value. However, the stock rebounded in early trading Friday.
Trump, who does not drive while serving as president, said in March that he was buying the Tesla to demonstrate support for Musk — then a close ally and mega-donor. The purchase was intended to shore up Musk’s image as he faced growing backlash over his role in cutting US government jobs.
At the time, Trump staged a photo-op at the White House, briefly transforming it into a Tesla showroom. He praised the car as a “great product” and railed against “Radical Left” critics of Musk and Tesla in posts on social media.
Trump aides also joined the promotional push. Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt and senior advisor Margo Martin were photographed in the vehicle last week, with Martin posting on X: “Taking President Trump’s Tesla out for a ride.”
Now, the shiny red Tesla has become a symbol of the souring relationship between Trump, 78, and Musk, 53 — the former chief of the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE).
Trump expressed “deep disappointment” in Musk and publicly threatened to cancel government contracts with Musk’s firms after the tech mogul slammed Trump’s signature budget and policy bill as an “abomination.”
