Trump Says He Was 'Amazed' That Tesla CEO Elon Musk Endorsed Him Despite His Anti-EV Stance
President Trump expressed surprise at Tesla CEO Elon Musk's endorsement during his campaign, despite Trump's anti-EV stance. Trump mentioned that he had never discussed his position on electric vehicles with Musk, who seemed unconcerned about the implications of Trump's policies. This endorsement comes as Trump signed a resolution preventing California from implementing an EV mandate, a move that may benefit General Motors. Trump's recent actions have drawn criticism, including from Musk, who previously condemned Trump's policies as harmful.
President Donald Trump was "amazed" by Tesla Inc. TSLA CEO Elon Musk's endorsement for his campaign in last year's presidential election, which ended in Trump winning a second term at the White House.
What Happened: Gerber Kawasaki's CEO and Co-Founder, Ross Gerber, took to social media platform X on Sunday to share excerpts that highlighted Trump's confusion. "I used to say I’m amazed that he’s endorsing me because that can’t be good for him. I’m abolishing the EV mandate."
The post then outlines how Trump and Musk never had a conversation about the former's anti-EV stance before adding that Trump once brought it up himself. "I once asked him about it, ‘You never talked to me about that.’ He said, ‘Well, as long as it’s happening to everybody, I’ll be able to compete."
Trump noted that Musk's answer was "very interesting." He also added that he assumed Musk would press him about not going through with the anti-EV mandate, but he never did.
Why It Matters: The news comes in as Trump signed a resolution that bars California from adopting the EV mandate, which aimed to phase out all ICE-powered vehicles by 2035 in favor of EVs and Hybrids.
Trump's overturning of the resolution could be a welcome move for Detroit-based automaker General Motors Co. GM, which was pushing to overturn the mandate.
Trump's Big, Beautiful Bill has been slammed by people across the board, including Musk, who had called it a "disgusting abomination" in the buildup to Trump and Musk's public falling out.
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