When Elon Musk paid over $270 million to help get Donald Trump re-elected as President of the United States, it probably didn’t occur to him that he’d be buying federal protections for his new car showrooms, but that seems to be the most recent benefit to his massive investment in the so-called MAGA movement. On Tuesday afternoon the President of the United States of America stood in front of the press outside the White House in support of Elon’s electric vehicle company Tesla, which has lost nearly 40 percent of its stock market share value since the turn of the new year, and over 50 percent of its value since election day last November. The President took delivery of a Model S Plaid, which he cannot drive, and purchased a Cybertruck for his granddaughter Kai. During the Tesla infomercial, Trump told the gathered onlookers that recent anti-Musk protests, which have occasionally included damage to Tesla vehicles and charging infrastructure, and are allegedly secretly funded by George Soros somehow, would be treated as cases of domestic terrorism. He said this morning that boycotting Tesla is illegal, but taking it a step further and upgrading the charges to domestic terrorism is beyond the pale.
“I will do that. I’m gonna stop them.” — Trump on declaring that Tesla protesters are domestic terrorists pic.twitter.com/34xu3i5QxP
— Aaron Rupar (@atrupar) March 11, 2025
In America and abroad, Musk’s EV brand has been on the ropes, dealing with a reputation for poor build quality, aging product, and broadening competition in the electric vehicle market, all while the company CEO spends his time getting blasted on ketamine, throwing Nazi salutes, hanging out with the President, blowing up rockets, tweeting a hundred times an hour, and firing hundreds of thousands of Federal employees. Anger with Musk and his ham-fisted mishandling of great American social structures and safety nets has spilled over to Tesla stores across the nation with many peacefully picketing the stores. A few stores have seen gunfire, Molotov cocktails, and cut charging cables, but thus far the damage seems to have been limited exclusively to Tesla property, not harming any individuals. The U.S. Government defines domestic terrorism as “activities that involve acts dangerous to human life” by “mass destruction, assassination, or kidnapping.”
Donald Trump the Tesla salesman
There are a number of statutes which would prevent a sitting President from promoting a company or giving this kind of treatment to any individual donor, but that ship seems to have sailed with President Trump, and it seems he is completely immune from any kind of legal ramifications. They don’t call him the teflon Don for nothing, not a damn thing sticks. Just like every basically every car salesperson in the U.S., Donald Trump is a bloviating windbag who will say damn near anything to get you to sign on the dotted line. Today, more than most, he showed his colors by simply blowing Elon’s Tesla talking points directly into the homes of millions of Americans. When asked about the notes in his hands Trump said, “I’m not Biden, I don’t need notes,” and once he got behind the wheel of the Model S he exclaimed “Everything’s computer!”
REPORTER: Do you think you buying a Tesla will boost Tesla and stock?
TRUMP: Well, I hope it does
While speaking alongside the President, Elon Musk said that in the face of rapidly declining sales, Tesla is going to double the number of cars it will produce within the next two years. The company built 1.77 million vehicles in 2024, which was a 3.9 percent decrease from 2023, which means that Tesla will need to produce 3.54 million cars for the 2027 model year. I don’t know about you, but I think that’s probably unlikely to happen, and if the company does build that many vehicles, they’ll be sitting unsold for ages. Will Donald Trump’s promotional work for Tesla work as well as his Domino’s Pizza commercials?
HE’S LITERALLY READING A SALES PITCH
— Eliot Higgins (@eliothiggins.bsky.social) 2025-03-11T20:13:40.518Z
