February 13th 2025.
According to a recent report by NPR, the State Department has revealed plans for the Trump administration to acquire $400 million worth of armored Teslas. This information was disclosed in a document outlining procurement for the upcoming fiscal year of 2025.
The most intriguing aspect of this news is that the administration has specifically set its sights on purchasing Teslas from none other than Elon Musk, the CEO of Tesla. What's more, Musk is also a top member of the White House team, having been appointed by Trump himself to head the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE). This department was created by Trump with the goal of reducing unnecessary federal contracts and implementing mass layoffs of civil servants in order to decrease the federal budget.
However, it is unclear how purchasing such a large quantity of Tesla vehicles aligns with the goal of cost-efficiency. As reported by TIME, the State Department has since altered the wording of the document after news of the plans broke out. The edited version now states that the $400 million federal contract is for "armored electric vehicles," with no mention of Tesla.
There is also uncertainty surrounding which specific vehicles the taxpayers will be funding, but it is highly likely that the administration will support Musk, who was one of Trump's biggest donors, having contributed a staggering $250 million towards his re-election campaign. After the election, Trump then went on to appoint Musk to lead DOGE, granting him access to over a dozen federal agencies. Many have raised concerns about potential conflicts of interest, as Musk's company SpaceX reportedly holds multi-billion dollar contracts with the federal government and is working with NASA on a project to send astronauts to the moon. Meanwhile, the Trump administration is actively seeking to downsize NASA and other federal agencies.
As NPR points out, all signs point to the federal government purchasing Musk's Cybertruck. Its futuristic and militaristic design, complete with a stainless steel exterior, could very well be the top choice. However, the federal government has clarified to TIME that no contract has been awarded to Tesla or any other vehicle manufacturer at this time.
This news has sparked further discussions and criticisms, with some questioning the Trump administration's decision to allocate such a large sum of money towards a single company, particularly one with ties to the administration. This latest development only adds to the concerns raised about Trump's reckless decisions and unchecked privilege, as seen in his recent renaming of landmarks.
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