Trump Shows Support for Musk with Tesla Purchase, Highlighting Deepening Alliance

President Donald Trump bought a Tesla Model S to show support for Elon Musk, who is leading his efforts to overhaul federal agencies. Trump praised the car and said he hopes his purchase will boost Tesla's fortunes. This is the latest example of Trump's loyalty to Musk, who is also the world's richest person and has billions of dollars in government contracts. Trump announced his purchase on social media, calling it "a show of confidence and support for Elon Musk, a truly great American." He also defended Musk against attacks from the "Radical Left Lunatics." Others have also rallied to Musk's defense, including Alex Jones, who said he bought a customized Cybertruck that he'll give away to a customer of his online store next month. Tesla has faced sagging sales and declining stock prices as Musk devotes his time to overhauling and downsizing the federal government as an adviser to the president. The White House did not immediately elaborate on Trump's plans for buying a Tesla, such as how the purchase would be handled or where the car would be kept. Presidents almost never drive for security reasons. However, Trump's purchase represents another step in how the president has blurred lines between private and public interests. During his first term, top adviser Kellyanne Conway urged people to show their support for Trump's daughter Ivanka by purchasing her retail products. Trump's wealth and business savvy is core to his political appeal. The president promoted his products while running for office last year, and he attached his name to a cryptocurrency meme coin that launched shortly before he took office. However, it's rare to see Trump use his own money to support an ally, no matter how important they are. During an interview with the Fox Business Network on Monday, host Larry Kudlow asked Musk "how are you running your other businesses" while also advising Trump. "I'm just here trying to make government more efficient, eliminate waste and fraud," Musk said. Tesla has recently faced protests and vandalism. Police are investigating gunshots fired at a dealership in Oregon, and fire officials are examining a blaze that destroyed four Cybertrucks at a Tesla lot in Seattle. At times, the White House has needed to play cleanup for Musk, who had never worked in public service before and has admitted that he'll make mistakes along the way. For example, Musk presented inflated estimates of fraud in government benefits like Social Security on Monday, leading Democrats to argue that he was planning cuts to the popular programs. "Most of the federal spending is entitlements," Musk said in the interview. "That's the big one to eliminate." The next morning, a White House account on X criticized news organizations as "lying hacks" and told Democrats to "spare us the fake outrage" about reducing benefits. "He was clearly talking about the WASTE in the programs," the White House posted.