Tesla CEO Elon Musk, in an email exchange with CNBC on Tuesday, accused President Joe Biden of ignoring his electric car company in order to focus more on legacy car manufacturers.
But he also tried to reassure concerned White House officials that he would do or say something embarrassing when he was invited to speak at a White House event.
“They have nothing to worry about,” Musk said. “I will do the right thing.”
Musk’s comments come after CNBC contacted him about a new report that Biden and the White House had no immediate plans to invite Musk to potential meetings with company leaders. People who spoke to CNBC about how the White House treats Musk declined to be named in order to speak openly about private talks.
“It is not always easy to see where you are going. Biden has always ignored Tesla and lied to the public that GM is leading the electric car industry, when Tesla actually produced more than 300,000 electric cars last quarter and GM produced 26, ”Musk said in an email.
Tesla announced in January that it had manufactured and delivered more than 300,000 vehicles worldwide in the fourth quarter. General Motors reported U.S. sales. of 26 electric vehicles, including one Hummer van and 25 types of Bolt EV during the fourth quarter.
UGM recently announced that it would extend the production suspension of the Chevrolet Bolt EV until early April but plans to resume sales soon. The company said it plans to spend $ 35 billion on electric and private cars by 2025.
For the first time in his office, Biden in February acknowledged Tesla’s status as the country’s largest car manufacturer.
Musk and the White House have been at loggerheads since the administration of Biden began as the president demanded infrastructure reform and tried to persuade car companies to go green.
GM chief executive Mary Barra said, standing near Biden in January, that the company wanted to invest $ 7 billion in Michigan to “further our EV production.” GM is headquartered in Detroit. At the time Musk responded to Barra and Biden’s comments by posting on Twitter, “Starting with T, Ending with A, ESL in the middle.”
“It got to the point, surprisingly, when no one in the management was even allowed to say the word‘ Tesla ’! Public outrage and media pressure on the statement forced him to admit that Tesla was actually leading the EV industry. I will not properly address that as ‘praise,’ “Musk said in a Tuesday email.
A White House spokesman praised Tesla on Tuesday in an email to CNBC: “Tesla has done amazing things in electric cars and is a big part of why the whole industry now knows that EVs are the future.”
A White House representative also targeted Musk. “Tesla has also benefited greatly from previous EV tax credits, but unfortunately, their CEO has raised objections to EV tax debt,” the spokesman said.
Musk also joked about Biden once. He once called Biden a “sleeper,” aptly referring to former President Donald Trump’s “Sleepy Joe” swearing.
Some officials secretly called Musk names, such as “a-hole,” according to what he said about Biden, according to people familiar with the situation.
“I have nothing against Biden in any other way, other than the common concern about the additional financial crisis, which could apply to any president, and support the Obama-Biden election,” Musk told CNBC on Tuesday.
Data from the Independent Political Response Center shows that Musk contributed more than $ 30,000 to the Democratic Alliance National Committee during the 2012 election round when former President Barack Obama and Deputy President Biden fought for Republican candidate Mitt Romney. He also donated more than $ 2,500 XNUMX directly to Obama’s presidential campaign in that round.
Musk did not give it to Biden’s campaign when he ran for president in 2020. He expressed support for businessman and Democratic Alliance candidate Andrew Yang instead. He recently contributed to the Republican National Committee.
Musk, who also owns space exploration company SpaceX, has a net worth of more than $ 220 billion, according to Forbes. Will the White House freeze?
Biden and senior White House officials have secretly signed to their allies that they have no immediate plans to invite Musk to any upcoming meetings with senior management, according to people familiar with the matter. These individuals have declined to be named in order to speak freely in private conversations.
Musk criticized the president on Twitter, including later in late January after Biden met with General Motors chief executive Mary Barra and Ford Motor chief executive Jim Farley at a forum with other company leaders to discuss the president’s Build Back Better program, which is standing in Congress. . Musk, in a tweet, called Biden a “wet sock-like doll.”
Asked at the time by CNBC about Musk’s absence, Brian Deese, Biden’s chief economist, said: “When it comes to electric cars, we want the United States to be a place where electric cars are driven. And when we get a big share of exports and create some good jobs here in America. So that’s not about one company. ”
After the hearings, the president and his team were outraged by Musk’s criticism, according to more than a dozen people familiar with the matter.
Biden ‘s advisers have secretly postponed inviting Musk to attend future industrial events, as they are concerned that the executive council will say something that could embarrass the president or management, according to someone familiar with the talks.
Asked about this, Musk first responded with an email with two emoji “rolling around laughing”. He then went on to say that the White House should not have to worry about doing anything out of the ordinary.
A person close to the president told CNBC that there was an impetus to bring Musk to the table to discuss the $ 1 trillion presidential infrastructure package since the official set up a mining company called Boring Company.
Some in the White House, including climate adviser Ali Zaid, believe that only affiliated car companies, such as GM and Ford, should meet with Biden and senior management, some of these people explain.
The White House has postponed the action.
“Ali Zaidi has met with all the automakers at least once – including Tesla, many times. “President Biden is focused on creating good union practices across the country and strongly believes that every employee in every province must make a free and fair choice to join the union and the right to negotiate with his or her employer,” he said.
Tesla is not affiliated and Musk has taken over the United Auto Workers union via his Twitter account. The UAW nominated Biden as president during the last general election.
