Maeve Bidonde, Staff Writer
Since Elon Musk has been dividing his priorities to focus on matters at The White House, Tesla, Inc.’s stock has gone down nearly 48%. In response Trump allowed Musk to showcase new models, including the Cybertruck, in front of The White House. Trump was seen talking to the press and even sitting inside the Tesla, claiming he would buy one to leave at The White House for the staff to use.
According to ABC News, Trump previously criticized electric vehicles calling them too costly, inefficient, and not in demand. But last August, on his campaign trail, Trump switched his opinions after Musk endorsed him. However, since taking office, Trump has vowed to end federal incentives to buy EVs. Which has left people confused as to what his real views on electric vehicles are.
Issues have since been raised about blurring the line between conflict of interest and ethical behavior. When asked by reporters about how the event looked to others, Trump didn’t deny he was doing it to help Musk’s business. Tesla cars are being boycotted and under protest by the public. Ethical experts spoke with ABC News have raised concerns about what the display at The White House means for proper conduct by elected officials.
“I think he’s been treated very unfairly by a very small group of people. And I just want people to know that he can’t be penalized for being a patriot. And he’s a great patriot, and he’s also done an incredible job with Tesla,” Trump told reporters according to ABC News.
According to NPR Richard Painter, the former chief White House ethics lawyer in the Geroge W. Bush administration, said the Tesla showcase violated federal rules that prohibit using public office for private gain but those rules don’t apply to the president.
Tesla, Inc.’s stocks have also gone down in Europe, China, and Australia. The latest backlash from other countries against Trump and Musk relate to their extreme policies as well as their executive orders.
After the display, stocks saw a small rise in numbers. However, The White House has not responded to requests to comment on whether or not ethical rules were followed during the Tesla showcase.
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