No, you’re not dreaming. In remarkable scenes outside the White House, the president of the United States has just gone and paid the better part of $100,000 for a car he’s not yet driven, and which during the course of its production has been the subject of dozens of recalls for issues as diverse as seat-belt warning system malfunctions and unexpected speeding and lane changes.
Tesla sales may be down in the US, and in free fall in Europe right now, but Elon Musk will be hoping this will all change now that President Trump has personally bought one of his EVs.
After turning the White House South Lawn into a Tesla showroom yesterday (minus any bothersome sidewalk protesters with “Swastikar” placards, naturally), President Trump got to look over models including the Model Y and a Cybertruck. But after due consideration, the president’s seal of approval fell upon a 200-mph Model S Plaid in ultra red, with 1,020 horsepower, that can rocket from zero to 60 in 1.99 seconds.
“Plaid” models are Tesla’s high-performance versions of its EVs, complete with tri-motor systems and remarkable acceleration to match. It’s a strange moniker, especially when you learn its origin: Elon Musk is apparently a huge fan of Spaceballs, where “Ludicrous Speed” is faster-than-light travel. When a ship hits this velocity in the film, a plaid-patterned tunnel appears in space.
The president’s speaking notes from Tuesday’s event at the White House.
Photograph: Andrew Harnik/Getty Images
Clearly impressed as he stepped into the EV, President Trump gave a singular review of the Model S Plaid: “Wow, that’s beautiful … Everything’s computer!” It certainly is, Mr. President. A Model S has approximately 10 teraflops of computing power, comparable to a PlayStation 5 or Xbox Series X.
Likely referring to the significant negative coverage of Musk’s efforts leading the so-called Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), the president committed to buying a Tesla via TruthSocial on Tuesday morning, stating that Musk “was ‘putting it on the line’ in order to help our Nation, and he is doing a FANTASTIC JOB! … I’m going to buy a brand new Tesla tomorrow morning as a show of confidence and support for Elon Musk.”
Turning to the Cybertruck at the White House Tesla walk-around, the president proclaimed that the 3.3-ton EV was “the coolest design.” But considering how the truck is apparently prone to rust, and the fact that its multiple recalls have ranked it worse than 91 percent of all 2024 vehicles, it is perhaps wise that President Trump opted for the Model S.
That said, the president’s choice has sadly had more than its fair share of problems. The Model S has had 37 NHTSA safety recalls so far over the course of its existence, most recently in January for an issue where certain models of the tech-laden S’s “computer circuit board may short, resulting in the loss of the rearview camera image,” increasing the risk of a crash.
A red model S.
Tesla
Other Model S recalls have included issues with airbags, potential problems with the power-steering assist feature, faulty door handles, warped brake discs, and in 2023 a voluntary recall for every one of Tesla’s vehicles using the Full Self-Driving feature. According to NHTSA’s filing at the time, the issues included not properly stopping at a stop sign; speeding, due to failing to detect a road sign or because the driver has set their car to default to a faster speed; and making unexpected lane changes to move out of turn-only lanes when going straight through an intersection.
It should be noted, however, that due to the increasing complexity of the cars being made today, automotive recalls for numerous brands have surged in recent years, including Mercedes, General Motors, BMW, Chrysler, and Ford.
Musk will be hoping that such a thumping presidential endorsement will reverse a worrying recent sales decline for the auto brand. According to Kelley Blue Book, Tesla sold 43,650 EVs in February, a decrease of nearly 6 percent from the 46,262 sold in the same month last year. Globally, sales drops are much worse, with falls of more than 75 percent in Europe and 65 percent in Australia for the first two months of the year. The UK is one of the few markets bucking this trend, with Tesla’s February sales up 20 percent compared with the same month last year.
For some customers already part of the Tesla collective, the shame of being associated with a brand’s CEO who has made Nazi-like salutes and endorsed the far-right political party Alternative for Germany is proving too much, and they are rebadging their EVs with rival marque insignias.
