Musk initially celebrated his White House car show on Tuesday, but his posts on X eventually took a darker turn. By Wednesday, he was promoting theories that protests and vandalism at Tesla dealerships were part of a Democrat-funded effort to undermine him.

Notes given to President Trump to help him sell Teslas in front of the White House included prices and reminded him to use terms like ‘affordable.’

Trump told reporters he would write a check for the car, which retails for roughly $80,000, and leave it at the White House so his staff can drive it. The president also said he hopes his purchase will boost Tesla,

By reviewing the Teslas in public before cameras, Trump ensured that his purchase would get wide attention. Dan Scavino, a White House deputy chief of staff, livestreamed the event on X, the social media app owned by Musk. Trump said he would pay for the vehicle by check.

US President Donald Trump and Tesla CEO Elon Musk speak to the press as they stand next to a Tesla vehicle on the South Portico of the White House on March 11, 2025 in Washington,

The Biden White House explained the snub by noting that the automakers that had been invited were the nation’s three largest employers of the United Auto Workers, a powerful union, and it suggested that the administration would find other ways to partner Tesla. (Union animus towards electric vehicles later became a problem for Mr Biden.)