Trump support Tesla Inc and its CEO Elon Musk over reopening of California Tesla plant as president eager to reopen the United States economy.
United States President Donald Trump on Tuesday threw the weight of the White House behind Tesla Inc and its CEO Elon Musk after the electric carmaker reopened an assembly plant in California in defiance of local officials.
Trump took to Twitter, writing” “California should let Tesla & @elonmusk open the plant, NOW. It can be done Fast & Safely!”
Tesla did not immediately comment on Trump’s tweet.
On Monday, Musk announced that production was resuming at its plant in Freemont, California, despite county officials ordering it to stay closed. He said that he would join workers on the assembly line, writing on Twitter: “If anyone is arrested, I ask that it only be me.”
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The Tesla chief and founder of SpaceX has been visceral in his opposition to lockdown measures, sparking controversy with his Twitter rants and telling analysts on a recent quarterly Tesla conference that sweeping stay-at-home orders were “facist”.
Trump, who is up for reelection in November, is anxious for the US economy to reopen. Some 33.5 million Americans filed for unemployment benefits in the seven weeks ending March 2, while the monthly tally for job losses in April was the worst ever recorded.
Trump has sparred with California for years over a series of issues, including immigration, vehicle fuel-efficiency standards, funding for high-speed rail and numerous environmental issues. He has also met with Musk on several occasions during his presidency.
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In January, Trump said that Musk is “one of our great geniuses, and we have to protect our genius.”
States and cities around the US are experimenting with ways to gradually lift lockdown restrictions and safely reopen their economies.