Trump’s White House Tesla Showcase in Mask raises ethical concerns

The controversial showcase of President Donald Trump and Tesla cars before the White House has been wary of Washington and is considered an infomercial for the billionaire auto company’s wealth.

Ethics expert ABC News raises concerns that Tuesday’s event could blur or cross the line between what is considered appropriate conduct by elected officials.

“It could be reasonably assumed that White House and the President’s support is on sale,” said William F. Hall, an adjunct professor of political science at Webster University.

The event came hours after Trump posted, and was scheduled to buy Tesla following a massive protest from the company and a massive decline in stock value and sales around the world. When a reporter asked Trump about the optics at the event, he didn’t deny that he was doing it to help Musk earn money.

“I think he’s been treated very unfairly by a very small group, and I just want people to know that he’s not punished for being a patriot. And he’s a great patriot and he did an incredible job with Tesla,” he told reporters. Musk later thanked Trump with X.

Hall, who served with the Justice Department as field director during the Reagan, Bush and Clinton administrations, said it is not uncommon for the president to lend support to American businesses, but usually takes place outside the White House elsewhere, such as factories and office spaces.

“I don’t think it’s difficult at all for the average American who might have seen it to reasonably interpret him as a elected leader in our country as a source of this product,” he said.

Delaney Marsco, director of the Campaign Legal Center, a nonprofit legal group, told ABC News that ethics law works primarily under the president, but focuses on executive employees rather than the president himself.

She said it was because lawmakers who wrote these rules didn’t expect a president to ignore long-standing standards, which could be expected and accepted.

“One of the things we’ve relied on is the norms of being right. President Trump doesn’t adhere to those norms,” ​​she said.

Marsco added that Musk’s vaguely defined role as presidential adviser and that he is the CEO of a tech company that runs business with the government, also raised serious concerns in light of the event on Tuesday. She said she hopes Musk’s actions will not be questioned politically alone.

“We are sure that shareholders are worried about this line being blurred, and that’s equally confusing for the public,” she said.

Tesla stocks have dived in recent weeks, but have risen slightly after Trump checked out a masked car at the White House. Hall noted that Tesla and Musk have been on the receiving end of the protest because of his actions and words since he was more involved with Trump.

The president claimed he would write a check for the full price of the car and provide it to White House staff, but it was not clear as Wednesday evening if that really happened.

Ethics experts warned that the move could set unprecedented standards for future presidents.

“The federal government is not a business that supports the products they buy. The federal government is supposed to make policy decisions that will improve the lives of Americans who do not support the president’s friends or presidential donors,” Marso said.

Marsco added that there is nothing to stop Trump or any future president from making these unethical decisions, but that these ethical laws governing the administrative division could be strengthened by lawmakers, especially in the event of public outcry.

“When you start talking about ethics, some people don’t understand ethics law and what they entail, but the public is not stupid,” she said. “They know what conflicts of interest are and what the government should do for them. This knows that this is not the correct use of the presidential office, but a product that is a friend and a major political donor.”