On Tuesday, March 11, U.S. President Donald Trump decided to purchase a Tesla vehicle at the White House in a gesture of support for his personal advisor, Elon Musk. This action was prompted by the recent decline in Tesla's stock and protests affecting Musk's company. Trump came to Musk's defense by acquiring the car as a show of confidence in the American businessman.
At an event at the White House, Trump mentioned: “In any case, I’m going to buy a new Tesla tomorrow morning as a show of confidence and support for Elon Musk, a truly great American.” However, it was discovered that during the event, Trump was literally reading a Tesla sales advertising speech, even mentioning vehicle prices, raising doubts about whether the meeting between Trump and Musk was arranged.
Social media reacted to leaked photos of Trump's speech, where references to the prices of Tesla vehicles could be seen. Despite criticisms that Trump was promoting Tesla, some users defended the president, highlighting the moment he mentioned not needing the provided notes.
An image of the speech with Trump's annotations, detailing the names of Tesla vehicles and their prices, was captured by a photographer present at the event at the White House. This incident sparked online questioning, labeling the situation as a tactic of covert promotion and an attempt at an advertising announcement for Tesla. In response, Trump reaffirmed his stance by stating: “I don’t need notes.”
The debate continued on social media with divided opinions, while a public servant suggested that Congressional Democrats should investigate the incident.
