Tesla CEO Elon Musk on Thursday shared insight into his exchanges with Donald Trump, revealing that the former US President is a fan of Cybertruck, a high-performance pickup truck made by one of the world’s biggest EV makers.
“I have had some conversations with him and he does call me out of the blue for no reason,” Musk was quoted as saying by Bloomberg during the meeting at the company’s Austin headquarters on Thursday. “I don’t know why, but he does.”
The presumptive Republican presidential nominee’s support for the Cybertruck contrasts with his stance on electric vehicles (EVs). Trump in the past has slammed President Joe Biden’s policies aimed at boosting EV sales, claiming they would harm US auto workers. However, Trump has publicly praised both electric vehicles and Musk himself, declaring his fandom at a rally in Arizona.
At the shareholder meeting, Musk characterised Trump as “very nice” during their conversations, where he advocated for the benefits of EVs and stressed America’s leadership in battery-powered cars. According to Musk, Trump’s affinity for the Cybertruck may stem from the vehicle’s popularity among his friends.
Last month, the Wall Street Journal reported that Trump is considering tapping the US billionaire as a policy adviser if the Republican presidential candidate reclaims the White House in November’s election. The two have discussed ways for Musk, who runs the social media platform X as well as SpaceX and Tesla, to have “formal input and influence” over economic and border security policies, according to the Journal.
The report also said Musk informed Trump about his ongoing influence campaign aimed at convincing powerful US business leaders not to support Biden, who beat Trump in the 2020 election and is seeking a second term. In March, following a meeting with Trump in Florida, Musk said he would not donate money to Trump or Biden. Musk in recent years has more fully embraced the Republican Party. Musk has said, without evidence, that Biden is intentionally allowing migrants to cross the US-Mexico border.
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