Tesla CEO Elon Musk famously spent hundreds of millions of dollars to help Donald Trump win a second term as president of the United States.
His help didn’t stop there. Musk turned his social media platform into an engine for Trump’s online movement, playing yet another key role in his victory.
Not to suggest that they have a quid pro quo relationship, but since he took office, President Trump has repaid Musk’s leg up, and then some.
Tesla Q4 deliveries
Q4 Model 3 and Y deliveries: 406,585
Q4 all other models deliveries: 11,642
Q4 Model 3/Y production: 422,652
Q4 all other models production: 11,706
Amid falling sales earlier last year, the president held what could only be described as a live Tesla commercial taping on the White House lawn, for an advertisement that would never air. He and Musk hopped into a red $80,000 Model S sedan, with which Trump seemed very impressed.
“Wow, that’s beautiful,” President Trump said while settling into the car. “This is a different panel than I’ve had; it’s all computer!”
And that tiny gesture pales in comparison to the president’s gift of appointing Musk to head the Department of Government Efficiency, through a legal mechanism that allowed him to bypass a Senate confirmation hearing on his way to the cabinet position.
While their relationship has involved some very public domestic disputes, the two have seemingly patched things up in recent months and are as good friends as they’ve ever been.
Despite their rekindled friendship, Trump doesn’t seem to have Musk or Tesla in mind as he negotiates his latest trade deal with India.
Tesla announced it is halting production of President Donald Trump’s beloved Model S in a few months.Photo by Andrew Harnik on Getty Images
Tesla announced it is halting production of President Donald Trump’s beloved Model S in a few months.Photo by Andrew Harnik on Getty Images · Photo by Andrew Harnik on Getty Images
U.S.-India trade agreement leaves Tesla out of the equation
Last April, after weeks of delay, the U.S. finally unveiled the plan for its trade war. The president famously held up a posterboard showing all the «Liberation Day» tariffs that would be imposed on American trade partners.
But he also said the framework was malleable and that the U.S. would negotiate rates on an ongoing basis. Almost a year to the week after they began negotiations, the U.S. and India say they are close to reaching an agreement on trade policy.
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Last week, the pair announced that they’ve reached a «framework for an interim agreement» that includes India eliminating or reducing tariffs with an emphasis on U.S. food and agricultural products, including dried distillers’ grains, red sorghum for animal feed, soybean oil, and other U.S. staple crops.