- Tesla and SpaceX chief met with Trump at Mar-a-Lago
- He said he will not donate to ‘one of the candidates’
- Trump said they disagreed on a ‘minor issue called electric cars’
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Former President Donald Trump says he may not get an endorsement from Elon Musk because they have ‘opposing views’ on electric cars – which Trump continues to throw out at his campaign rallies.
Trump was asked if he would eventually get ‘verbal or monetary’ support from the multi-billionaire, a week after he met Musk at Mar-a-Lago.
“I don’t know,” Trump said in a call-in interview on CNBC’s “Squawk Box.” ‘I’ve been friendly with him over the years. I helped him when I was president, Trump continued.
‘I helped him. I have liked him. We obviously have opposing views on a minor topic called electric cars. I’m all for electric cars, but you have to have all the alternatives. You can’t just go for electricity either. I mean, you have a grid system in this country that is antiquated and a disaster, he said of SpaceX and Tesla’s CEO.
Former President Donald Trump regularly rips apart electric car technology in his campaign speeches. He cited “opposing views on a minor topic called electric cars” as a reason why Musk might not support his presidential campaign verbally or with financial contributions
It was just a taste of Trump’s frequent criticisms of the technology, talking about insufficient battery range, charging inconveniences and difficulties in very cold weather, even as automakers shift more focus to going electric.
Musk’s visit raised the prospect that he would become a major financial supporter of Trump, even as he faces severe personal financial pressures. He relied on a lender to post a $91.6 million bond last week following a judgment in the defamation case of E. Jean Carroll, and he has weeks to come up with $450 million after a judge’s ruling in his New York fraud case.
Musk, CEO of SpaceX and Tesla, has major US government contracts
Trump made the comments to CNBC days after meeting with Musk at Mar-a-Lago
Musk has made critical posts about President Joe Biden online over US immigration policy, which is central to Trump’s campaign.
‘Just to be super clear, I am not donating money to either candidate for US President,’ Musk tweeted last week,’ Musk wrote after their meeting.
CNBC reported that Trump and advisers want Musk to speak at the Republican National Convention in Milwaukee.
Musk’s companies have significant government contracts through SpaceX, and his Tesla brand is heavily influenced by US clean energy subsidies and policies to boost charging stations and production of battery technology.
Trump also made comments suggesting he is into cryptocurrency trading after saying it ‘looks like a scam’ back in 2021 and professing his faith in the US dollar.
“Well, it’s taken (on) a life of its own,” he said in the CNBC interview. ‘You know, I do little things sometimes for fun, and you know, make money from it and have fun doing it too.’
‘I used to say I want one currency. I want the dollar. I don’t want people to leave the dollar and all that. I feel like that. But I’ll tell you, it’s got a life.’
He noted that buyers used the currency to buy shiny Trump-branded sneakers.
I noticed that so many of them were paid with this with a new currency … you know, cryptocurrency and I couldn’t believe the amount.”
He also signaled that he would oppose any form of repression. ‘I have seen that it has been used a lot. And I’m not sure I want to take it away at this point, he said.
Trump also talked about his plan for 10 percent tariffs, which has sparked fears it could lead to another jump in inflation.
He cited policies that could mitigate the impact after he imposed tariffs on China during his presidency, which are still in place.
‘I think the taxes could be lowered, I think other things can happen to more than adjust it. But I’m a big supporter of tariffs, he said, stating that the United States was being “taken advantage of” by China.