Trump’s purchase of the Beast, an example of a White House Ethics Violation, and the fate of the “Beast”

President Trump stepped into a car outside the White House on Tuesday afternoon — but not the usual high-security presidential limousine known as “The Beast.”

That the president made such a public backing of a private company is unusual, and a possible ethical violation. If ethics rules were followed, the White House did not respond to a request for comment.

Trump’s purchase is also another example of Musk blurring the line between his roles in government, where he leads the administration’s government efficiency effort, and in the private sector, as the head of Tesla, SpaceX and X, formerly known as Twitter. His companies receive billions in federal contracts, even as the administration slashes spending across the government.

Richard Painter, former chief White House ethics lawyer under former President George W. Bush, said the display appears to violate federal rules prohibiting the use of public office for private gain, though those rules do not apply to the president.

“It looks like a way of saying this economy will be driven by favoritism,” Painter said. It looks like the government is picking winners and loser, and they claim to be the winner.

Trump, who has revoked Biden-era efforts to incentivize electric vehicles, said he’d pay for the car with a check, and would keep it at the White House for staff to use.

Although the Model 3 and Model Y have been updated recently, the lag in regular updates has allowed other competitors to gain an advantage. Consumers interested in plug-in power suddenly have a wealth of choices as newer, more interesting EVs from Hyundai, Kia, Honda, and General Motors hit the market.

Donald Trump said he was going to buy a new car for Musk on Tuesday as a show of confidence and support. He should not be reprimanded for putting his skills to use in making America great again.

Musk sabotaged the works for a cheaper vehicle. Last year, he reportedly canceled the company’s plans to build a low-cost electric vehicle in favor of going all in on a robotaxi. He said that the cheaper car was back on the agenda because it would be built on the same platform as the other cars. Now, investors are worried that this new vehicle will not be as profitable as the company wants it to be.

It was before the stock wipeout and before the salute. The board of the electric vehicle maker is feeling the pinch. James Murdoch sold millions of dollars worth of shares in the last month, along with chair Robyn Denholm.

And even more are protesting outside Tesla showrooms as part of a grassroots effort to oppose Musk’s takeover of the federal government, damage the company’s stock price, and maybe even slash the world’s richest man’s net worth.

Musk now believes that Tesla is on the verge of solving autonomy. He said that fully automated cars will be on the road within a decade. He mentioned on the earnings call thatOptimus has the potential to be worth $10 trillion in revenue.

Meanwhile, Kia and Volkswagen have announced plans to actually produce affordable EVs. And China has cracked the code on budget-priced, highly affordable EVs. The BYD Seagull, for example, was the country’s bestselling vehicle last summer, with about 190 miles of range and a sticker price of around $10,000. Even with a 100 percent tariff, the Seagull would still sell for a price much cheaper than most US-made EVs.

Musk has said the more affordable EV would be built on the company’s next-generation vehicle platform. But rather than prioritize a vehicle that investors took to calling the “Model 2,” he spent Tesla’s resources on the expensive, polarizing Cybertruck. The truck has turned into a flop after some initial excitement. Musk predicted that 500,000 Cybertrucks would be sold by the company. Last year, the company only sold an estimated 40,000.

The company is always criticized for its vehicle lineup getting a little long. The Model X is 10 years old, and the Model S is 15. Both vehicles have only received minor updates since their initial launch. An executive promised to give a refresh later this year.

If you want a hybrid or gas-powered vehicle, you can buy it from Tesla. It doesn’t matter when consumers are anxious about the future of electric vehicles.

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He is an editor who covers EV, public transportation, and aviation. His work has appeared in The New York Daily News and City & State.

The wipeout wiped out over 800 billion dollars of market value. Musk’s own net worth took an over $100 billion hit. He is still the richest man in the world.