Trump Thanks Elon Musk for Endorsing Him: ‘I Love the Car… But…’

Former President Donald Trump thanked Elon Musk for his endorsement while offering qualified praise for Tesla vehicles and other EVs.

Speaking at a Turning Point Action event in West Palm Beach, Florida, Trump took a detour to recognize Musk’s endorsement, which the Tesla CEO and X owner gave on July 13, when the former president was nearly assassinated.

“I fully endorse President Trump and hope for his rapid recovery,” the right-wing billionaire wrote on X after claiming he would not back a candidate.

“We don’t want to have an electric car where everybody has an electric car that doesn’t go far, is made in China, costs too much,” Trump said on Friday night. “And by the way, and I wanna thank Elon Musk for endorsing me by the way, I have to tell you.

The former president appeared to allude to a recent meeting he had with Musk.

“And I said, you know, ‘ Elon , remember, I love electric cars. I think your car is great. I love it, but it’s not for everybody.’ And, you know, he never said to me, ‘Look, I’m gonna endorse you.'”

Trump then offered quite a description of electric vehicle charging stations.

“You know, in the Midwest, someplace in the Midwest, they put up eight charging stations, you know that, right?” Trump said. “They spent $9 billion. Now, you know what a charging station? It’s like a gas pump. It’s the equivalent of a gas pump for electricity, right? It’s a little thing. They spend $9 billion. That would mean if they did it throughout the country, all the locations designated, it would cost $5 trillion. So, our country would have to file for bankruptcy.”

Trump concluded the EV portion of his remarks by saying, “I love the car. I think it’s great. And some people love ’em and some people want ’em. But I think if you’re gonna go long distances, it’s a little bit– you’re challenged. You’re challenged.”

Earlier this month, the Wall Street Journal reported that Musk would donate $45 million a month to a pro-Trump super PAC, but he has since walked back that pledge.

Watch above via Fox News.