Biden's comment that outraged Elon Musk, turning the world's richest man against Democrats and electrifying his support for Trump
SUMMARY
In November 2021, President Joe Biden's praise for General Motors CEO Mary Barra, while excluding Tesla’s Elon Musk, ignited a feud that would shift Musk's political allegiance. At an event celebrating a Biden executive order to promote zero-emission vehicles, Biden hailed Barra as having “electrified the entire automobile industry,” neglecting Tesla’s significant contributions. This slight set off Musk, who had supported Biden in 2020 and previously claimed never to have voted for a Republican. Musk's frustration grew as he perceived ongoing political and regulatory attacks from the Biden administration, including issues with the Federal Trade Commission and the Justice Department. The Tesla CEO’s discontent with Biden culminated in publicly disparaging him as a “damp [sock emoji] puppet in human form”.
