Trump called out over promised Tesla purchase following ‘hoax’ comments

Donald Trump has had a lot to say about electric vehicles (EVs) over the years, which is why his latest actions have raised quite a few eyebrows.

The US President announced this week that his next purchase would be a Tesla to show support for his buddy and advisor Elon Musk, the car company’s CEO, even though he's not able to drive it due to security reasons.

Tesla’s shares fell more than 15% this week and stock analysts claimed the main reason behind the shocking slump was due to the fears about whether the brand could meet production targets, as well as a drop in sales, the BBC reported.

Trump, however, blamed ‘radical left lunatics’ boycotting the firm because of its association with Musk, who is becoming an increasingly controversial figure.

Trump also said the boycott, which includes protests by an anti-Tesla group in front of the company’s showrooms, was ‘illegal’. However, The Guardian reports otherwise.

“Elon Musk is ‘putting it on the line’ in order to help our Nation, and he is doing a FANTASTIC JOB!" Trump shared on his platform Truth Social on Tuesday morning.

"But the 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."

However, this somewhat contradicts what Trump said about EVs at a 2023 rally in Ankeny, Iowa, in which he said: “They don’t go far. They cost a fortune.”

He echoed similar thoughts at a rally at Claremont, New Hampshire, in the November of 2023: “You can’t get out of New Hampshire in an electric car.”

“Where 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," he said. “Well, you could, if you stop about four times.

Trump also took aim at electric cars during the United Auto Workers strike which lasted for six weeks. In September 2023, he told a rally in Clinton Township, Michigan: “You go all electric so you can drive for 15 minutes before you have to get a charge.”

The Republican claimed on Truth Social that the president at the time, Joe Biden, sold autoworkers 'down the river with this ridiculous all Electric Car Hoax'.

But in recent months, Trump has also occasionally praised electric cars. In August last year at a rally in Atlanta, he said: “I’m for electric cars. I have to be because Elon endorsed me very strongly.”

He also posted on X, the platform owned by Musk, that Teslas are a ‘great product’ but 'that doesn’t mean everybody should have an electric car'.

The Trump administration also suspended a $5 billion EV charging program that was initially introduced under the Biden administration last month. The program aimed to expand EV charging stations nationwide to encourage people to buy EVs and to reduce carbon emissions.

On Tuesday (11 March), the president said on the White House driveway alongside Musk and several parked Tesla vehicles that he was planning to buy a Tesla for himself.

The former Apprentice USA host chose a red Model S.

Footage of the White House Tesla moment was shared on social media and people didn’t hesitate referring back to Trump’s previous comments about EVs.

“180 degree stance on electric cars,” one commenter said.

“The President of the USA reduced to a car salesman. This is the signal you are giving to the world,” another Instagram user complained.

Someone else asked: “Does he know it’s electric?”