Trump may get rid of his Tesla after Musk row: official

A Tesla conveyance is parked connected West Executive Avenue extracurricular the White House adjacent the Eisenhower Executive Office Building successful Washington, DC, connected June 5, 2025. Donald Trump and Elon Musk's improbable bromance imploded successful spectacular manner connected June 5 arsenic the US president and his billionaire erstwhile adjutant tore into each different successful a precise public, real-time divorce. Trump said successful a televised Oval Office diatribe that helium was "very disappointed" with criticisms from his apical donor of a "big, beautiful" spending measure earlier Congress, earlier threatening to teardrop up the tycoon's multi-billion-dollar US authorities contracts. The South African-born Musk deed backmost live, saying that the Republican would not person won the 2024 predetermination without him and slamming Trump connected his X societal media level for "ingratitude.". Photo: Brendan SMIALOWSKI / AFP
Source: AFP

Donald Trump whitethorn present offload a Tesla helium said helium bought earlier this twelvemonth successful a amusement of enactment for Elon Musk, a White House authoritative said Friday, pursuing a blazing enactment betwixt the US president and his billionaire erstwhile advisor.

The reddish electrical vehicle, which retails for astir $80,000, was inactive successful a parking batch connected the White House grounds connected Friday, an AFP reporter said, a time aft the precise nationalist meltdown betwixt Trump and the South African-born tech tycoon.

"He's reasoning astir it, yes," a elder White House authoritative told AFP erstwhile asked if the Republican would merchantability oregon springiness distant the Tesla.

Tesla stocks had tanked much than 14 percent connected Thursday amid the row, losing immoderate $100 cardinal of the company's marketplace value, but leapt backmost successful aboriginal trading Friday.

Trump, who does not thrust arsenic a president, said helium was buying the Tesla successful March to boost enactment for his mega-donor, whose marque -- and bottommost enactment -- has been deed hard by nationalist outrage implicit his relation successful slashing US authorities jobs.

At a choreographed publicity stunt that turned the White House into a pop-up Tesla showroom, Trump praised the EV arsenic a "great product" and lashed retired connected societal media astatine "Radical Left" attacks against the world's richest idiosyncratic and his company.

Trump's Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt and different elder adjutant posed successful the car arsenic precocious arsenic past week, successful a photograph posted connected Musk's societal media web X.

"Taking President Trump's Tesla retired for a ride," Trump's communications advisor Margo Martin posted.

But the shiny reddish conveyance has present go an awkward awesome of the fiery governmental divorcement betwixt Trump, 78, and erstwhile Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) main Musk, 53.

Trump said helium was "very disappointed" by Musk and threatened to extremity his authorities contracts aft his ex-aide criticized the president's flagship fund and argumentation mega-bill arsenic an "abomination."

Source: AFP