What was once the most sacred building in the nation now has many voicing concerns about it becoming a spectacle after President Donald Trump transformed the White House into a Tesla showroom. Standing next to the leader of the free world, Tesla CEO Elon Musk paraded five different Tesla models at the White House with Trump even buying one for himself.
The full event was livestreamed on X— you know, the app that Musk also owns— and as you can expect, folks were beyond pissed about it. On X, many complained that not only was Trump and Musk toting Teslas “not normal” but it also couldn’t be legal. @evansrc717 said “The levels of shame can’t possibly go any lower than this... The president is using the White House backdrop for a QVC type infomercial for his largest campaign donor.”
Another user, @ntyyst, wrote how the president has turned the country “into a reality show.” He tweeted “This is so nakedly corrupt and immoral, all you can do is laff... They let a reality star become president.”
But while Trump is busy styling and profiling in Teslas, many folks remembered the price of groceries is still up. “Trump buys a Tesla to encourage his base to buy Teslas. His base can’t afford eggs & he can’t drive a car,” @EastEndJoe wrote.
Another user, @acnewsitics, said the MAGA leader was “doing literally more to sell Teslas than he ever did for infrastructure, wages, or literally anything that helps regular people.” @isaiahrmartin agreed saying, “Trump’s fighting harder for Tesla than he is for you!!!!!!!”
Many called the Tesla showroom disrespectful to the White House and its long-standing history. “Trump does not respect the White House or the values it has held since John Adams first occupied it in 1800,” @akinfadeyi1 wrote.
Others are concerned that if Musk has to advertise his cars at the White House, then something must be wrong. “Things at Tesla have got that bad?” @June4th asked. “This has taking ur mum to the prom as a date energy. Not cool Elon.” Another user, @SaintLaurant, said Musk had to “be desperately concerned over Tesla stocks tanking, bc this right here is pathetic.”
The president expressed he bought a Tesla in support of the company after Americans have started to boycott. In fact, on Truth Social, Trump’s favorite social media platform, he called efforts to boycott Tesla “illegal,” saying “Radical Left Lunatics, as they often do, are trying to illegally and collusively boycott Tesla... in order to attack and do harm to Elon, and everything he stands for.”
To be clear, using your First Amendment right to protest or boycott is not illegal. But endorsing a product produced by your largest campaign donor is indeed unethical and... you guessed it... illegal, according to federal law.
On X, @QuincyHodges pointed this out saying “publicly announcing his Tesla purchase at WH to boost Tesla sales, in the presence of Musk—could violate 5 CFR § 2635.702.” He continued saying, “A reasonable person could construe these actions as implying that the U.S. government endorses Tesla.”
Either way, Trump won’t get the chance to drive his new Tesla purchase any time soon as U.S. presidents aren’t even allowed to drive for security reasons. So at least for the next four years, Trump’s Tesla will be collecting dust.