Elon Musk says the Biden administration ‘has done everything it can’ to ‘ignore’ Tesla

Elon Musk said the Biden administration “has done everything it can” to “sideline” Tesla. The businessman’s comments came in a series of tweets with former Obama speechwriter Jon Favreau. Musk said he would start backing the GOP after supporting Democrats in the past. Tesla CEO Elon Musk in a series of tweets last week claimed the Biden administration “has done everything it can” to “ignore” the automotive and clean energy company while also railing against the Democratic party. During an exchange with Pod Save America cohost Jon Favreau, who served as the director of speechwriting for former President Barack Obama, Musk responded to the Democratic commentator’s criticism of his switch from backing Democrats to supporting the GOP. Musk initially opined on Wednesday that Democrats used to represent “kindness,” but said they no longer held that mantle. “In the past I voted Democrat, because they were (mostly) the kindness party,” he tweeted . “But they have become the party of division & hate, so I can no longer support them and will vote Republican. Now, watch their dirty tricks campaign against me unfold.” Favreau on Friday took issue with Musk’s characterization and issued a sharp rebuke to the businessman over his political change of heart. “Hey man, if you want to support a bunch of electric vehicle-hating climate deniers, that’s on you,” he wrote . “Not sure it helps the cause that you and your team have dedicated much of your lives to, but I guess you’ll get some attention on Twitter, so there’s that!” The automotive executive, who is currently engaged in a bid to buy Twitter for $44 billion, responded to Favreau while also taking a swipe at President Joe Biden’s administration. “Hi Jon! You’re a good dude, but obv die-hard Dem, so have to support the party, but this Administration has done everything it can to sideline & ignore Tesla, even though we have made twice as many EVs as rest of US industry combined,” he said. —Elon Musk (@elonmusk) May 20, 2022 Favreau responded: “I know you’re mad that the guy who was part of a White House that made Tesla possible isn’t giving Tesla enough love now, but supporting climate-denying MAGA politicians who want to overturn elections isn’t the answer. You’re much closer to Dems on climate and I hope democracy.” Musk replied: “I’ve just switched from moderate D to moderate R, as I think many independent voters have done. We will know the magnitude of this trend in November. I think it’s big.” After Biden took office in January 2021, Musk told Fortune he was enthusiastic about the administration’s push to tackle the climate crisis. “I’m super fired up that the new administration is focused on climate,” he said at the time. But over time, Musk began to needle Biden for not including Tesla in his push for electric-vehicle manufacturing throughout the country. Earlier this year, a Change.org petition was even launched to push the president to say “Tesla” and include the company in his long-term vision for electric vehicles. Then, in a February speech, Biden acknowledged Tesla as the country’s “largest electric-vehicle manufacturer.” “Since 2021, companies have announced investments totaling more than $200 billion in domestic manufacturing here in America,” the president said at the time. “From iconic companies like GM and Ford building out new electric-vehicle production to Tesla, our nation’s largest electric-vehicle manufacturer, to innovative, younger companies like Rivian building electric trucks or Proterra building electric buses.”