President Donald Trump shopped for a brand new Tesla on the White Home driveway on Tuesday, deciding on a shiny purple sedan to point out his assist for Elon Musk ‘s electrical car firm because it faces blowback due to his work to advance the president’s political agenda and downsize the federal authorities. “Wow,” Trump stated as he eased his approach into the drivers seat of a Mannequin S. “That is lovely.”Musk acquired in on the passenger aspect and joked about “giving the Secret Service a coronary heart assault” as they talked about methods to begin a car that may attain 60 miles per hour in a number of seconds. Trump advised reporters that he would write a test for the automobile, which retails for roughly $80,000, and go away it on the White Home so his workers can drive it. The president additionally stated he hopes his buy will enhance Tesla’s fortunes. “It is an amazing product,” he stated. Referring to Musk, Trump stated “we now have to have fun him.”It was the newest — and most uncommon — instance of how Trump has demonstrated loyalty to Musk, who spent closely on his comeback marketing campaign final 12 months and has been a key determine in his second administration. Musk is main Trump’s efforts to overtake federal companies and cut back the workforce.The Republican president introduced on social media early Tuesday that he was going to purchase a brand new Tesla as “a present of confidence and assist for Elon Musk, a really nice American.”Musk continues to run Tesla — in addition to the social media platform X and the rocket producer SpaceX — whereas additionally serving as Trump’s adviser.”Elon Musk is ‘placing it on the road’ with a view to assist our Nation, and he’s doing a FANTASTIC JOB!” Trump wrote. “However the Radical Left Lunatics, as they typically do, try to illegally and collusively boycott Tesla, one of many World’s nice automakers, and Elon’s ‘child,’ with a view to assault and do hurt to Elon, and the whole lot he stands for.”Others have additionally rallied to Musk’s protection. Alex Jones, a distinguished conspiracy theorist, stated that he purchased a custom-made model of a Cybertruck that he’ll disclose to a buyer of his on-line retailer subsequent month. Along with Tesla’s struggles, Musk has confronted different challenges too. He stated X was focused by a “huge cyberattack” that disrupted the social media platform on Monday, and the final two take a look at launches of his Starship rocket resulted in explosions.Tesla has confronted sagging gross sales and declining inventory costs as Musk devotes his time to overhauling and downsizing the federal authorities as an adviser to the president.The White Home didn’t instantly elaborate on Trump’s plans for purchasing a Tesla, corresponding to how the acquisition can be dealt with or the place the automobile can be saved.Presidents virtually by no means drive for safety causes. Joe Biden acquired behind the wheel of an electrical truck whereas selling home manufacturing, and Barack Obama took a spin with Jerry Seinfeld within the White Home driveway for a comedy present. However whatever the practicality of Trump’s buy, his in a single day announcement about shopping for a Tesla represented one other step in how the president has blurred strains between personal and public pursuits.Throughout his first time period, high adviser Kellyanne Conway urged folks to point out their assist for Trump’s daughter Ivanka by buying her retail merchandise. “Go purchase Ivanka’s stuff,” she stated. “I will give it a free industrial right here.”Trump’s wealth and enterprise savvy is core to his political attraction. The president promoted his merchandise whereas operating for workplace final 12 months, and he hooked up his identify to a cryptocurrency meme coin that launched shortly earlier than he took workplace. Nevertheless, it is uncommon to see Trump use his personal cash to assist an ally, irrespective of how essential they’re. Musk is the world’s richest individual, with billions of {dollars} in authorities contracts. He is additionally exerting sweeping affect over Trump’s administration via the Division of Authorities Effectivity, or DOGE, and touring continuously with the president. Throughout an interview with the Fox Enterprise Community on Monday, host Larry Kudlow requested Musk “how are you operating your different companies” whereas additionally advising Trump.”With nice issue,” he stated. “However there isn’t any turning again, you say?” Kudlow responded.”I am simply right here attempting to make authorities extra environment friendly, get rid of waste and fraud,” Musk stated. Tesla has not too long ago confronted protests and vandalism. Police are investigating gunshots fired at a dealership in Oregon, and fireplace officers are inspecting a blaze that destroyed 4 Cybertrucks at a Tesla lot in Seattle. At instances, the White Home has wanted to play cleanup for Musk, who had by no means labored in public service earlier than and has admitted that he’ll make errors alongside the way in which.For instance, Musk offered inflated estimates of fraud in authorities advantages like Social Safety on Monday, main Democrats to argue that he was planning cuts to the favored applications. “Many of the federal spending is entitlements,” Musk stated within the interview. “That is the large one to get rid of.”The subsequent morning, a White Home account on X criticized information organizations as “mendacity hacks” and advised Democrats to “spare us the faux outrage” about decreasing advantages. “He was clearly speaking concerning the WASTE within the applications,” the White Home posted.