Donald Trump Says He Supports EVs, But Only Because Of Musk Endorsement

Soon after receiving support from Tesla chief executive and X owner Elon Musk, former President Donald Trump says he now must support electric vehicles, despite being an outspoken critic of EVs in the past.

While recently speaking at a rally in Georgia, Trump said he now has “no choice” but to throw his support behind EVs thanks to Musk’s endorsement, which came shortly after the assassination attempt on the former President last month. However, Trump stopped short of throwing the full weight of his support behind EVs.

Read: Donald Trump Hits Out At “All Electric Car Lunacy” In Christmas Message

“I’m for electric cars,” Trump said at the rally. “I have to be because, you know, Elon endorsed me very strongly. So, I have no choice.” Trump then added that he only believes EVs should represent a “small slice” of the broader industry, and believes there’s a place for different powertrain types, the Guardian reports.

“You want to have gas-propelled cars,” he said. “You want to have hybrids. You want to have every kind of car. Not everybody has to have an electric car. I told him [Elon] that. So we’re going to get rid of that mandate if you don’t mind. Some people want gasoline-propelled cars, some people want a hybrid, and some people like an electric car.”

In a post published on the Truth Social platform in December last year, Trump suggested that the “all electric car lunacy” was one of the ways political leaders were attempting to destroy the United States. He previously aimed at Biden’s expansion plans for the public charging network and claimed that Michigan could lose its entire auto industry to China. Trump has also previously labeled EVs a “hoax” and said they will lead to widespread job cuts across the United States.

The importance of an endorsement from the wealthiest man in the U.S. has made Trump reconsider his stance.