Elon Musk has called Biden a ‘damp sock puppet’ and feuded with the president for months, but Biden shared some rare praise for the billionaire earlier this month
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Elon Musk initially supported Joe Biden and mentioned he was excited for him to be president.
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Since, Musk has taken a number of digs on the president after he excluded Tesla from some EV occasions.
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The 2 males have been feuding for years, however there seemed to be a cease-fire of kinds earlier this month.
The second-richest man on the earth was as soon as a supporter of President Joe Biden, however over the previous two years, Elon Musk’s relationship with the White Home has turned bitter.
The 2 males have frequently traded jabs since Biden took workplace in 2021.
For the primary time in a longtime, the 2 males appeared to see eye-to-eye earlier this month.
Biden praised Tesla after Musk dedicated to opening 1000’s of Tesla chargers to different manufacturers. Beforehand, Tesla’s chargers — which account for a big portion of EV chargers within the US — had been primarily accessible solely to Tesla homeowners.
Whereas common Tesla stations have at all times been open to non-Tesla EVs via a particular adapter, the carmaker pledged to make its ultra-fast supercharging stations suitable with different electrical vehicles by the tip of 2024.
“In constructing our EV charging community, we have now to make sure that as many chargers work for as many drivers as attainable,” Biden tweeted on February 15. “To that finish, @elonmusk will open an enormous a part of @Tesla‘s community as much as all drivers. That is an enormous deal, and it will make an enormous distinction.”
Musk replied that Tesla was completely happy to help the charging community.
The information got here after The Washington Submit reported that the White Home had come to Musk for assist with increasing EV charging infrastructure within the US.
The tweets are notable as a result of they not solely symbolize an occasion of cooperation between the 2 males, but additionally as a result of Biden has been loath to acknowledge Tesla’s position within the EV house up to now.
Sources: Twitter, CNBC, Insider
Whereas Biden and Musk seem to agree on the significance of EV adoption, just a few months in the past the billionaire was taking jabs on the president.
In December, Biden introduced plans to construct 500,000 EV charging stations throughout the US.
On Twitter, Musk responded to the president’s tweet: “Or you’ll be able to simply purchase a Tesla.”
Insider beforehand reported that there are clear benefits to proudly owning a Tesla relating to public charging, together with accessibility, pace, and charging station facilities.
Sources: Twitter, Insider
There wasn’t at all times this animosity manner between the 2 males.
In Might, Musk mentioned he deliberate to vote Republican within the subsequent presidential election, however the billionaire mentioned he is voted “overwhelmingly” for Democrats up to now.
In actual fact, Musk labored intently with the Obama Administration in SpaceX’s early years, and has mentioned he voted for Hilary Clinton and Biden up to now two US presidential elections.
Shortly after Biden was inaugurated, Musk advised Fortune he was excited for the brand new president to take workplace and that he deliberate to work intently with the Biden Administration on efforts to deal with local weather change.
“I am tremendous fired up that the brand new administration is concentrated on local weather,” Musk mentioned in January 2021. “I really feel very optimistic about the way forward for sustainable vitality with the brand new administration. Not that we must always get complacent or something, however the wind is at our again for fixing the local weather disaster with the brand new administration,” he added.
Nonetheless, Biden might not have been Musk’s first selection for a Democratic candidate. In December 2021, Musk mentioned in a tweet directed at Senator Bernie Sanders that the US ought to set an age restrict that will not enable individuals over 70 to run for workplace — a measure that will disqualify each Biden and former President Donald Trump.
Sources: Insider, White Home, MarketWatch, Fortune, Twitter
Lower than a month into Biden’s presidency, Musk started to specific discontent with a few of his decisions.
In February 2021, Musk mentioned the Biden Administration rejected his thought of a carbon tax as “too politically troublesome.” The Tesla CEO made the feedback throughout an interview on the “Joe Rogan Expertise” podcast.
“I believe the Biden administration ought to take a robust stance on the scenario,” Musk mentioned. “It is like no less than half the explanation they bought elected.”
Musk has been calling for a carbon tax since 2015, and has mentioned he’s greater than keen for SpaceX to pay the tax for emissions throughout its spaceflights and checks in Boca Chica, Texas.
Sources: Insider, Insider
In August 2021, the feud between Musk and Biden really started to take form after the president failed to ask the CEO of the most important electric-car maker within the US to an EV summit on the White Home.
Musk said on Twitter that it “appears odd Tesla wasn’t invited.”
Tesla has been answerable for the overwhelming majority of electric-car gross sales within the US over the previous 4 years. In distinction, automakers that had been invited to the occasion like Common Motors and Ford symbolize solely a small portion of electric-car gross sales within the nation.
On the time, White Home Press Secretary Jen Psaki was requested throughout a press briefing whether or not Tesla was being excluded from the occasion as a result of its staff weren’t a part of an automotive union.
“I will allow you to draw your individual conclusion,” she mentioned.
Sources: Twitter, Insider
Musk has repeatedly criticized among the most important elements of Biden’s political agenda.
Musk dissed Biden’s Construct Again Higher agenda in December 2021 and mentioned that the administration ought to scrap the $2 trillion bundle altogether.
Specifically, the CEO took concern with laws that will authorize a tax credit score of as much as $12,500 for People in the event that they purchased an electrical automobile assembled by unionized staff. The invoice would exclude Tesla altogether, whereas propping up corporations within the United Auto Employee’s Union (UAW) like Ford and GM.
Musk was additionally vital of a tax plan from the Democratic Social gathering that will goal US billionaires. On the time, the laws would have given the billionaire an annual tax invoice of $10 billion.
“Finally, they run out of different individuals’s cash after which they arrive for you,” he wrote on Twitter in October 2021.
Sources: Insider, Insider, Insider
In January 2022, Musk had sturdy phrases for Biden, calling him a ‘damp sock puppet.’
The Tesla CEO spoke out after Biden as soon as once more met with executives from Ford and GM relating to EV adoption and failed to incorporate Tesla.
“I meant it after I mentioned the long run was going to be made proper right here in America. Firms like GM and Ford are constructing extra electrical autos right here at house than ever earlier than,” Biden tweeted.
Musk first commented on the put up calling for Biden to acknowledge Tesla.
“Begins with a T, Ends with an A, ESL within the center,” he tweeted.
The Tesla CEO later responded: “Biden is a moist sock puppet in human type,” utilizing the sock emoji.
It was one in every of a number of occasions that Biden and his administration appeared to exclude Tesla from discussions on electrical autos.
Supply: Twitter
Tesla followers have taken word of Biden’s lack of recognition for Tesla’s achievements.
Biden has taken a number of alternatives to reward GM and Ford for his or her foray into electrical vehicles, however has had little to say about Tesla.
The president has additionally made appearances at GM and Ford factories, and brought take a look at drives of their upcoming electrical pickup vehicles, however has been notably absent from Tesla’s large Fremont Manufacturing unit.
In February 2022, practically 40,000 Tesla followers signed a petition on Change.org calling for Biden to acknowledge Tesla and its position because the main electric-car maker within the nation.
“The White Home and the Biden Administration have deliberately been making an attempt to disregard Tesla’s exhausting work whereas propping up GM and others as ‘EV Leaders,'” the petition mentioned. “That is an insult to the People who work for Tesla.”
The petition got here after the president once more met with executives from Ford and GM and publicly lauded them for “constructing extra electrical autos right here at house than ever earlier than.”
Sources: Insider, Insider, White Home
Musk’s mom has mocked Biden over his Tesla snubs.
Even Musk’s mom seen Biden’s propensity for excluding Tesla. In 2021, Maye Musk mocked Biden for saying GM “electrified your entire vehicle business.”
“Biden’s speech was written 20 years in the past, simply earlier than GM killed the electrical automotive,” Maye Musk tweeted. “His speechwriter uploaded the incorrect file.”
Sources: Insider, Twitter
Biden briefly acknowledged Tesla final 12 months, following stress from Musk and his followers.
Finally, Biden publicly acknowledged Tesla in February 2022. Throughout a speech focused on boosting home electric-vehicle manufacturing, Biden spoke of Tesla’s affect on the business and famous that Musk’s firm is the “largest electric-vehicle producer” within the US.
However, solely a month later, Musk was once more displeased after Biden did not point out Tesla in his State of the Union tackle after mentioning Ford and GM.
“Tesla has created over 50,000 US jobs constructing electrical autos & is investing greater than double GM + Ford mixed,” Musk wrote on Twitter in response to a tweet in regards to the speech from the president’s official account.
Sources: Insider, Insider
A lot of the strain between Biden and Musk seemingly comes all the way down to Musk’s response to unionization efforts at Tesla.
Biden’s tax incentives, in addition to his statements on GM and Ford, have centered on their unionized workforce. In the meantime, the Tesla CEO has taken an energetic stance in opposition to the UAW.
Final 12 months, Musk taunted the union with an invite to Tesla’s Fremont Manufacturing unit, alongside a clip of former UAW members criticizing the union.
In 2017, some Tesla staff sought to unionize with the assistance of the UAW, however reportedly confronted backlash. In 2021, the Nationwide Labor Relations Board dominated that Tesla and Musk “unlawfully threatened” staff hoping to unionize. The group mentioned Tesla “interrogated” staff concerned within the effort and ordered Musk to delete a tweet it deemed “anti-union.”
In the meantime, Tesla’s Fremont manufacturing facility is going through a lawsuit from a California civil rights regulator over claims of racial discrimination, which Tesla has denied.
Sources: Insider, Vox, Insider, Insider
Biden has had little to say about SpaceX as properly.
SpaceX has taken a big half within the nation’s efforts to return to the moon.
In September 2021, Musk mocked Biden after the president did not touch upon SpaceX’s historic first all-civilian mission.
After a Twitter person commented on Biden’s silence, Musk tweeted “He is nonetheless sleeping” — a reference to digs in opposition to Biden from the Republicans, a few of whom have dubbed him “Sleepy Joe.”
Sources: Insider, Insider, Twitter
The president appeared to mock Musk’s fixation with outer house in response to a query relating to the billionaire’s feedback in regards to the US being within the midst of a recession.
In his response from June, the president highlighted Ford’s funding in electrical vehicles and its union.
“Whereas Elon Musk is speaking about that, Ford is rising their funding overwhelmingly,” Biden mentioned relating to Musk’s pessimism. “Ford is rising the funding in constructing new electrical autos, 6,000 new staff — union staff, I would add — within the Midwest.”
Biden went on so as to add: “So, you realize, a number of luck on his journey to the moon.”
Supply: Insider
Final 12 months, the feud between the 2 males appeared to return to a head when Musk mentioned he now not plans to vote for the Democratic candidate within the upcoming presidential election.
“This administration has performed every thing it will probably to sideline & ignore Tesla,” Musk wrote on Twitter.
The tweet got here whereas Musk was within the midst of buying Twitter.
“Up to now I voted Democrat, as a result of they had been (principally) the kindness social gathering,” he added. “However they’ve change into the social gathering of division & hate, so I can now not help them and can vote Republican. Now, watch their soiled tips marketing campaign in opposition to me unfold.”
Earlier than he introduced his plans to modify political events, Musk mentioned Biden was solely elected as a result of individuals “wished much less drama.” The billionaire has mentioned he helps “centrist candidates.”
Musk has been fast to criticize Trump as properly. In Might, he mentioned a “much less divisive” candidate than Trump could be higher for the 2024 presidential run. In 2016, Musk was outraged over the Trump administration’s resolution to exit the climate-focused Paris Settlement, although in 2018 the SpaceX CEO mentioned he favored Trump’s thought for a Area Power army department in outer house.
Sources: Twitter, Insider, Insider, Insider
Biden will not be the one individual at whom Musk has taken digs.
The second richest man on the earth has repeatedly taken swipes at Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, in addition to fellow billionaires Jeff Bezos, Mark Zuckerberg, and Invoice Gates.
Sources: Insider, Insider, Insider, Insider
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