Trump Turns White House Into Tesla Showroom Amid Stock Slide

The president praised the vehicles as "beautiful," signaling a direct attempt to buoy the financial standing of his ally. Musk, who currently leads the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) and has overseen the firing of roughly 30,000 federal employees, stood alongside Trump to condemn growing public backlash. The CEO labeled recent vandalism against Tesla properties as acts of violence against innocent people, while Trump warned that he might classify such attacks as domestic terrorism.

Critics view the spectacle as a profound intersection of private interest and public policy. While Tesla shares suffered a 15% drop on Monday—their worst performance in over four years—the company has lost more than 50% of its value since mid-December. Labor groups and commentators have condemned the move as a display of overt corruption, noting that the White House is being used to promote a struggling commercial entity while simultaneously dismantling critical government programs. Trump dismissed these concerns on Truth Social, lambasting those participating in boycotts and framing the backlash as a coordinated effort by "Radical Left Lunatics" to punish Musk for his political contributions.