Miami, Florida – In April, Trump allegedly had a meeting with top oil executives in Florida, where he is accused of offering them to reverse most of President Biden’s green agenda laws and measures in exchange for $1 billion in campaign cash. The former president allegedly made a promise to make the changes on his first day in office if he won the presidential race in November. So far, details of the meeting have not been revealed, as the public remains hungry to learn more about the details. House Democrats even started an investigation about the allegations.
Huge policy change
The Biden administration has raced to overturn Trump’s environmental actions and issue new ones before the November election. So far, Biden officials have overturned 27 Trump actions affecting the fossil fuel industry and completed at least 24 new actions affecting the sector, according to a Washington Post analysis. The Interior Department, for instance, recently blocked future oil drilling across 13 million acres of the Alaskan Arctic. The Biden administration has invested a lot of money in recent years to promote renewable energy and help Americans buy electric vehicles through different grants.
Beneficial for EV brands
Tesla, the leading electric vehicle producer, has benefited a lot from Biden’s policies. However, Elon Musk has become increasingly vocal since the start of this year, attacking President Biden and Democrats over illegal immigration. Although Musk doesn’t officially back Donald Trump, multiple reports suggest that the two had several meetings in Florida in recent months, mostly during fundraising events. Trump is aware that Musk’s financial support could boost his campaign, but his recent meeting with some of the most important people in the oil industry goes against a potential endorsement from one of the wealthiest men on the planet. So, Trump being Trump, recently changed his course.
Elon Musk confirms contacts with Trump
Elon Musk might be shaping Donald Trump’s views on electric cars through their sporadic phone conversations. This was hinted by Musk at Tesla’s annual shareholder meeting last Thursday, following the vote that reaffirmed his substantial compensation plan. In a Q&A part of this meeting, Musk responded to inquiries regarding the likely Republican candidate for the 2024 election.
“Donald Trump has been a big critic of electric vehicles, but last week, he surprised us by saying he’s a big fan of Tesla and a big fan of you,” the man said, garnering applause. “What did you tell him?”
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Confusing turn of events might change everything
Trump has consistently criticized electric vehicles (EVs), labeling them as inefficient and detrimental to American auto industry workers. He has also promised to reverse President Joe Biden’s EV initiatives, predicting an economic disaster if the shift toward EVs persists. However, in an unexpected shift, Trump expressed support for electric cars at a rally in Arizona earlier this month, declaring to the audience that he is a “big fan of electric cars.”
“I’m a fan of Elon,” Trump said, according to a Tesla trade media outlet . “I like Elon, I like him, and I think a lot of people are going to want to buy an electric car.”
The details
Trump’s sudden change of heart might stem from his increasing friendship with Musk, a connection Musk appeared to acknowledge last Thursday. Musk mentioned that the former president was “very nice” during their phone call. The Tesla CEO also noted that he had attempted to convince Trump of the environmental advantages and nationalistic benefits of electric vehicles.
“I can be persuasive,” Musk said in response. “I have had some conversations with him, and he does call me out of the blue for no reason. I don’t know why, but he does. America is the leader in electric cars,” Musk said Thursday. I think a lot of his friends now have Teslas,” Musk added. “They all love it. And he’s a huge fan of the Cybertruck.”
Secret support
Both men have publicly aligned themselves with the other in recent weeks: Musk defended Trump hours after he was convicted on 34 felony counts, calling the matter “trivial.” Trump, meanwhile, discussed offering Musk an advisory role in his administration should he win in November, The Wall Street Journal reported last month. The outlet also reported that Musk and Trump had breakfast together in March with their sons X and Barron Trump, along with the billionaire Nelson Peltz, during which they criticized Biden.
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Recently, both individuals have publicly supported each other: Musk came to Trump’s defense shortly after his conviction on 34 felony charges, dismissing the issue as “trivial.” Meanwhile, Trump has considered giving Musk an advisory role in his administration if he is victorious in the upcoming November election, according to a report by The Wall Street Journal last month. The report also mentioned that in March, Musk and Trump, along with their sons X and Barron Trump, had breakfast with billionaire Nelson Peltz, during which they expressed criticism of Biden.
