What was meant to be a Tesla promotional event quickly spiraled into an embarrassing debacle for Donald Trump, as Fox News correspondent Peter Doocy openly challenged him on the disastrous economic impact of his tariff policies—while Elon Musk looked on uncomfortably.
Doocy Holds Trump Accountable
During the event, Doocy directly questioned Trump’s leadership, asking: “President Trump, you’re buying a new car while there are some folks who will see this clip at home and they are struggling with their retirement accounts down at the moment, uncertainty about work ahead…”
Trump, clearly flustered, attempted to defend his actions. “Well, I think they’re gonna do great. I think we’re, uh, our country had to do this. We had to go and do this. They’ve taken away… Other countries have taken away our business. They’ve taken away our jobs.”
His response failed to address the direct concerns about economic hardship, instead offering vague justifications. “We had the greatest economy in the history of our country and then we had COVID which we had to straighten out,” he added, omitting his widely criticized pandemic response.
Musk’s Awkward Presence
The setting of this confrontation—at what was supposed to be a Tesla sales pitch—only worsened the optics. Trump’s decision to promote Tesla, amid concerns about Elon Musk’s erratic behavior and reports of declining Tesla stock, was seen as a desperate attempt to boost the fortunes of a billionaire ally. Musk, who was present, wore sunglasses, leading to speculation about his rumored ketamine use.
Another Reporter Presses Trump on Market Instability
Trump faced further scrutiny from another journalist, who asked: “Do you and your tariff policies bear any responsibility for the turmoil we’re seeing this week?”
Trump deflected blame onto President Biden: “No, I think that uh… Biden gave us a horrible economy. He gave us horrible inflation and I think the, uh, market was gonna go very, very bad.”
The Reality of Trump’s Tariff War
The truth, however, is that Trump’s recent trade policies—including punishing tariffs on Canada and Mexico—have exacerbated economic instability. Financial experts have warned of a looming recession, directly linked to his erratic trade decisions.
Trump, however, continued his self-congratulatory rhetoric: “If anything, I have a lot of very smart people, friends of mine, and great businessmen, they’re now investing because of what I’m doing. Because long term what I’m doing is making our country strong again.”
He further tried to shift the conversation toward foreign policy, making dubious claims about global conflicts: “When I left, we had no wars. We didn’t have Ukraine and Russia. We didn’t have October 7th. We didn’t have that disaster that took place with the withdrawal from Afghanistan.”
A Presidency Defined by Cronyism
Beyond Trump’s misleading statements, the event itself has drawn widespread criticism. Using the White House to bolster Tesla sales raises serious ethical concerns, highlighting the intertwining of Trump’s presidency with the interests of billionaire allies.
This spectacle further cements the perception of Trump’s administration as one of the most corrupt in modern history.
