In a sign of the deteriorating relationship between Donald Trump and Elon Musk, the U.S. President is contemplating the sale or donation of the red Tesla he purchased to express his support for the billionaire during protests against the company.
This electric vehicle, which remains parked in the White House yard, witnessed a rather unusual event in March, during which Trump turned the White House into a Tesla exhibit, symbolizing the peak of their relationship.
In response to inquiries about the possibility of selling or giving away the car, a senior White House official confirmed, “Yes, President Donald Trump is considering that.”
A significant dispute has erupted between Trump and Musk, with both exchanging insults and accusations. Trump labeled Musk as “crazy” and threatened to terminate his government contracts.
On Thursday, in the Oval Office, the American President expressed his “great disappointment” in Musk for criticizing a tax bill he had signed, suggesting that Musk was defending his business interests.
In a subsequent post on his social media platform, Trump remarked that Musk, disgruntled by the tax legislation currently before the Senate that could increase the U.S. deficit, was “draining his energy” and had “asked him to leave” the government.
Additionally, the head of Tesla claimed that the President, who received over $250 million in support during last year’s presidential campaign, was lying about the motives behind his opposition to the administration’s new spending proposals.
Trump had asserted that Musk disapproved of the “big beautiful bill” because it would eliminate policies that restrict Tesla.