Quotes
I will do that. I'm going to stop them. Because they are harming a great American company. It's a great product, and we have to celebrate [Musk]."
President Donald Trump, discussing his move to make violence against Tesla a terrorism charge, said
They don't go far. They cost a fortune,
Trump said during a rally in 2023, ... according to the Associated PressWhere are you going? 'I'm going to Massachusetts.' Well, you better get yourself a gas turbine because this car is not going to get you there,
A month later, at another campaign event, he joked that ... he saidWow. That’s beautiful.”
As he eased into the driver seat, he exclaimed
Tesla is becoming a political symbol of Trump and DOGE, and that is a bad thing for the brand,
said Wedbush Securities financial analyst Dan Ives, referring to the advisory group in charge of cutting government spending led by MuskI have a lot of information [about Tesla's cars], including the price,
said Trump, wielding a few pages of notes he said were given to him about Tesla's offerings
[T ... T]he 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,
Trump claimed on Truth SocialThe cars are brilliant, but we don't like the direction of the owner and we're voting with our feet,
said Friend, who splits time between homes in Hobart and Melbourne
We’ve had our Tesla Model Y for 2.5 years, and over the past six months, we’ve experienced increasing hostility on the roads,
one poster said,I’m going to pass on that.”
Upon learning that Musk is manufacturing a Tesla without a steering wheel, Trump said
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If you actually drove it around, it would really be wild,
Musk observed, and then entered the vehicle on the passenger sideWatch the Secret Service go crazy,
Trump saidI’m not allowed to drive because I haven’t driven a car in a long time. I love to drive cars. But I’m going to have it at The White House and I’m going to let my staff use it. I’m not allowed to use it,
Trump said
Will I get in?"
he asked the waiting media, before declaring the red Model S "beautiful".
I don't know how one can be an American citizen and not be deeply embarrassed by this. The leader of the free world reduced to reading ad copy for a car salesman,
wrote one X userTeslas can be purchased as low as $299/month or $35K,
read one sentenceThey gave me notes.”
At one point, Trump acknowledgedElon Musk got Trump doing unpaid Tesla ads on taxpayer-funded time,
another saidWhen I saw what was happening, I said that I want to buy a Tesla and we just went to the front. He (DOGE Head and Tesla CEO, Elon Musk) had four beautiful cars there, and I bought one in front of the press. It was a very public purchase, and they're beautiful and do a great job,
Trump told reporters
He's done a great job...It's not that he's a Republican... Sometimes, I'm not even sure what he is in terms of his philosophy, but he's a great guy. He's a patriot."
He added