Fox News senior White House correspondent and guest anchor Jacqui Heinrich called out President Donald Trump for a Tesla “display” at the White House, calling it “an attempt to boost” Tesla’s stock and asking if it was “appropriate.”
The president received blowback from Fox’s Peter Doocy last week over an extended photo op at the White House promoting Tesla vehicles, which Trump said he purchased two of. Hours later, it was reported that Musk is set to pump $100 million into Trump’s political operation.
On this week’s edition of Fox News Sunday, Heinrich wrapped up an interview with Sen. Bernie Moreno (R-OH) by calling out the “display” amid cratering stocks, and asked Moreno, “Was that an appropriate thing for the president to do there?” Here is their exchange:
HEINRICH: Well, even Tesla has apparently sent a letter to the trade representative asking to examine the president’s policies saying it could harm Tesla. It reads Tesla encourages USTR to consider the downstream impacts even with aggressive localization of the supply chain, certain parts and components are difficult or impossible to source in the United States.
And that’s Elon Musk’s company. Is the president going to listen —
MORENO: Yes.
HEINRICH: — to Elon Musk?
MORENO: Well, I think that, first of all, President Trump listens to a lot of people, and ultimately, he makes the decision. That’s what’s different now than what — than four years ago. Joe Biden was out counting chickens in the backyard.
Look, the reality is this. This is about how much time do these companies need to bring their production back to the U.S. Given the right time frame and the right rules of the road, which we’re going to set for them, you’re going to see that boom here.
By the way, it’s important for national security. We need to make more things here in America. We can’t be a services only economy. President Trump understands that, that’s what we’re going to get to.
HEINRICH: And finally, speaking of Tesla, the president bought one this week in an attempt to boost its stock after it plunged about 38 percent amid Musk’s DOGE cuts. Here’s what he said. Listen to this.
OK. We don’t have that sound there. But, sir, there was basically a display at the White House there. He surveyed some cars. It was happening as, you know, Americans’ 401(k) accounts were facing some struggles because of this tariff war happening right now.
Was that an appropriate thing for the president to do there? Was it sensitive to the moment that we are in buying a car, using the White House as a — as a backdrop for that?
MORENO: Well, first of all, he’s promoting American made products. I applaud him for doing that. He’s not the first president to do that. Most presidents have done something like it in the past.
Joe Biden did it in his term and excluded Tesla. I think at the end of the day, you have Democrats now being anti-EV. So maybe we get some balance now because they were only EV.
Look, the reality is this, President Trump is a president that’s going to re-industrialize this country, bring back our might of the Midwest. And that’s why he’s so popular in states like mine.
HEINRICH: I guess we’ll have to find out if AOC still has her Tesla or not. Senator Bernie Moreno, thank you very much for being here.
Watch above via Fox News Channel’s Fox News Sunday.