Donald Trump has just done something unethical in front of the White House
President Donald Trump bought a new Tesla on the White House drive on Tuesday, selecting a shiny red sedan to show his support for Elon Musk’s ‘baby’.
Trump said he’d write a cheque for $80,000 (£61,792) and leave it at the White House so his staff could drive it.
Turning the White House drive into a makeshift showroom was done in a bid to boost Tesla, owned by Musk, which is struggling with sagging sales and tumbling stock prices.
Sitting in a red Tesla, Trump remarked: ‘Wow, that’s beautiful. Everything’s computer.’
Can Trump legally endorse Tesla?
Trump’s stunt was in violation of federal policy.
The Office of Government Ethics section 2635.702 states that a federal employee ‘shall not use his public office for his own private gain, for the
endorsement of any product, service or enterprise, or for the private gain of
friends, relatives, or persons with whom the employee is affiliated in a
nongovernmental capacity.’
These friends, relatives and people, including nonprofit organizations of which the employee is an officer or member, and persons with whom the employee has or seeks employment or business relations.
As president, Trump is a federal employee, even though he previously said he wouldn’t take the £319,500 salary.
What is Trump’s relationship with Musk?
Trump has repeatedly boasted about his friendship with Musk, praising him in interviews and asking him to attend cabinet meetings.
Musk works as a special government employee, meaning he’s still technically an employee of Trump, even though he isn’t paid for his position heading up DOGE (Department of Government Efficiency).
Trump doubled down on his endorsement, calling Tesla ‘one of the World’s great automakers’ in a rant on Truth Social, before posting multiple other rave reviews to his nearly 10,000,000 followers.
The President also said he bought a Cybertruck for a ‘very special young woman’, his 17-year-old granddaughter Kai.
‘She’s a great golfer and she puts the clubs in the back, and I guess it’s a very safe deal, she loves it,’ Trump raved.
It’s not the first time Trump has found himself in hot water about endorsing products while in the White House.
In 2020, both Trump and his daughter Ivanka shared photos of themselves holding tins of Goya Food products.
Consequences for breaking government ethics laws
If government officials are found to violate ethics laws, they can face consequences ranging from administrative sanctions to prison time, depending on the severity.
The US Office of Government Ethics says: ‘There are also administrative penalties for less severe violations of ethics rules and regulations. These actions range from corrective training to termination.
‘Although the vast majority of federal employees serve the public with integrity, when advice goes unheeded and training goes ignored, there are a variety of penalties for willful violations of the ethics rules.’
Ivanka tweeted a picture of herself holding a tin of black beans with the caption ‘If it’s Goya, it has to be good’ in English and Spanish.
At the time, the White House doubled down after the illegality was pointed out, writing: ‘‘Ivanka is proud of this strong, Hispanic-owned business with deep roots in the US and has every right to express her personal support.’
Ivanka had been working as an adviser in the White House when she tweeted the photo. Even if she ‘personally’ supported the brand, it was still in violation of section 2635.702.
Get in touch with our news team by emailing us at webnews@metro.co.uk.
For more stories like this, check our news page.