CNBC reported on Tuesday the White House apparently has no plans to invite Tesla CEO Elon Musk to upcoming meetings with other corporate leaders.
The publication reached out to Musk via email, and an exchange occurred regarding Tesla and how it has been viewed by the White House.
“The notion of a feud is not quite right. Biden has pointedly ignored Tesla at every turn and falsely stated to the public that GM leads the electric car industry, when in fact Tesla produced over 300,000 electric vehicles last quarter and GM produced 26,” said Musk in his email.
Musk’s email reply to CNBC further added, “It got to the point, hilariously, where no one in the administration was even allowed to say the word ‘Tesla’! The public outrage and media pressure about that statement forced him to admit that Tesla does in fact lead the EV industry. I wouldn’t exactly call that ‘praise.’”
It was only recently President Biden acknowledged Tesla for the first time publicly, instead of always praising legacy automakers for their electric vehicles.
CNBC said a White House spokesperson further praised Musk’s automaker, saying in an email, “Tesla has done extraordinary things for electric vehicles and that’s a big part of why the whole industry now knows EVs are the future.”
Musk previously said he would not support Biden’s Build Back Better plan and EV tax credits, with the latter only maxing out benefits if an EV purchased came from union labor.
“Tesla also benefited greatly from past EV tax credits, but unfortunately, their CEO has suggested an opposition to new EV tax credits,” said the White House spokesperson via email.
Model 3 is literally the most made in America car in – well of course – America
— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) February 17, 2022
In regards to Musk’s insults hurled at Biden, such as calling the President a “damp sock puppet in human form,” for example, these have apparently not been sitting well with those inside the White House.
CNBC says some in the Biden administration “have privately called Musk names, such as “a–hole,””, according to unnamed people familiar with the matter.
“I have nothing against Biden otherwise, apart from general concern about more deficit spending, which would apply to any president, and actively supported the Obama-Biden election,” said Musk in his email to CNBC on Tuesday.
Biden advisors also are said to be worried about Musk’s potential behavior, if invited to the White House, say sources to CNBC.
When Musk was informed of this, he replied with two rolling on the floor laughing emojis. “They have nothing to worry about,” Musk said in his email. “I would do the right thing.”
CNBC also says there was a desire to bring Musk in for discussions, as the latter’s the Boring Company may play a role in Biden’s $1 trillion infrastructure package.
