Trump slammed as he holds handwritten Tesla ‘sales pitch’ at White House event: ‘Clear ethical violation’

WASHINGTON, DC: It’s not every day you see a sitting president holding what looks like a car dealership flyer at a White House event, but leave it to Donald Trump to make history in the most unexpected ways.

On Tuesday, March 11, a now-viral photo captured Trump gripping a note that read suspiciously like a Tesla sales pitch—complete with price points and financing options—as he checked out Elon Musk’s electric beauties parked on the South Lawn.

Before the event even kicked off, Trump had already been hyping up Tesla. In a post on Truth Social, he made it clear he was ready to put his money where his mouth was and that he wanted to buy one of Musk’s electric vehicles as a show of support for the billionaire mogul.

And when the media swarmed the South Lawn on Tuesday afternoon, there was Trump—standing next to a sleek red Model S, looking every bit the potential customer.

"That's beautiful," he gushed. "I'll write a check for the car," he said confidently.

For reference, the Model S starts at around $80,000—pocket change for a billionaire, but still a pretty penny for the average American.

And he wasn’t stopping there. Trump also announced that he’d also be buying a Cybertruck for his 17-year-old granddaughter, Kai.

The Tesla note that raised eyebrows

Attached to a copy of Donald Trump’s prepared speech was a handwritten note listing Tesla prices in what could only be described as a full-on sales pitch.

A sharp-eyed photographer snapped a picture, revealing part of the note which read: "Teslas can be purchased as low as $299/month or $35K."

Of course, while there are tax incentives under the Inflation Reduction Act for buying EVs, Trump may not even qualify for them because under US law, presidents make $400,000 a year—well above the $300,000 income cap to get the tax credit.

That said, Trump has a history of donating his presidential salary. His administration’s records show that he gave up his paychecks quarterly in 2017, 2018, and 2019 and at least part of it in 2020. He had even vowed to do the same if he won a second term.

Musk has grown close to the president in recent months. With Tesla facing global protests and Musk’s DOGE crackdowns drawing backlash, the billionaire has found an unexpected champion in Trump.

Across the US and Europe, activists have been vandalizing Tesla showrooms and slamming Musk’s leadership, while Tesla’s stock has been getting hammered. The company’s shares have nosedived 55% from their all-time highs in mid-December, closing at $230.58 on Tuesday.

Some investors are apparently worried that Musk is too focused on politics and not on Tesla's future, according to Business Insider.

At the White House event, Trump made it clear why he was throwing his weight behind Tesla. "Number one, it's a great product, as good as it gets. And number two," he said, turning to Musk, "because this man has devoted his energy and his life to doing this, and I think he's been treated very unfairly by a very small group of people."

Trump, by his own admission, doesn’t actually drive. "I haven't driven a car in a very long time," he confessed. Instead, it looks like White House staff will be the lucky ones taking the Tesla for a spin.

Social media erupts over note with Tesla prices in Donald Trump's hand

If Trump thought his Tesla pitch would be perceived as a simple show of support, it was far from it. The moment that handwritten note hit social media, liberals had a complete meltdown and accused Trump of turning the White House into a free Tesla commercial.

"This was 100% a Tesla commercial at the WH— which is unheard of," one posted on X.

"Trump reading a Tesla sales pitch at the White House with Musk shows blatant corruption. Grifting never stops, even in office. Disgraceful," another fumed.

"I wonder how targeted GM, Ford and Chrysler feel? What’s the going rate to get a sitting president to do a cheap commercial for ya?" read a comment.

"Elon Musk got Trump doing unpaid Tesla ads on taxpayer-funded time. The grift-to-governance ratio is off the charts," someone else chimed in.

"Congressional Democrats should investigate. No doubt Musk wrote this, which is all a clear ethical violation. That is, if we still believe in ethics," another insisted.

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