Connect with us

News

A closer look at Joe Biden and Elon Musk’s feud, and the US President’s potential miscalculation

Published

on

For all intents and purposes, US President Joe Biden and Tesla CEO Elon Musk should agree on a number of things. Both men have worked hard to fight climate change, and both openly support electric vehicles. Yet for the longest time now, a feud seems to have developed between Biden and Musk.

It’s not a stretch to state that a lot of the feud is due to Biden — and it will likely be a gross miscalculation on the President’s part.

It’s easy to shoehorn Elon Musk as a villain. The man’s a billionaire; he’s stated that he is voting against Democrats in the coming elections; he has even traded sarcastic barbs with popular left-leaning politicians over the past months. But what is easily forgotten these days is that Musk has, for the longest time, been a supporter of Democrats, including Biden himself.

Musk said as much recently on Twitter when he noted that he voted for both Hillary Clinton and Joe Biden in the last two presidential elections. Musk was also quite close to the Obama administration. So what really encouraged Musk to switch to the right, even if Biden’s administration has characterized itself as one that is focused on climate issues and sustainability?

Some would note that the Musk and Biden feud started with the US President’s overt support for unions, but things actually started before that. As early as February 2021, Elon Musk hinted at some of his disagreements with the Biden administration. Musk was lobbying for a carbon tax then, but the CEO noted that the Biden team believed that such an initiative “seems too politically difficult.”

Advertisement

Musk has noted recently that his shift to the right is in no small part due to Biden’s administration doing “everything it can to sideline and ignore Tesla.” Musk critics would easily disregard these statements as entitled whining from the CEO (cue the aged Elon Musk Simpson’s “weird nerds” meme), but he does have a point. Since rejecting Musk’s suggestion for a carbon tax, the Biden administration has barely acknowledged Tesla, focusing instead on more traditional automakers that are, for the most part, doing far less for sustainability than Tesla.

This happened recently following what appeared to be Biden’s latest zinger against Musk, where he wished the CEO “lots of luck on his trip to the Moon” when asked about Musk’s concerns about the US economy. Biden proceeded to promote Ford’s efforts to hire 6,000 workers while conveniently denying that Tesla had nearly hired 50,000 people worldwide in the last two years.

Overall, the Biden and Musk feud is downright strange. From an outsider’s perspective, it really doesn’t make sense. Every person who has followed Tesla and SpaceX over the years would know that Musk’s companies are practically a perfect match for politicians on the left. Yet Biden, for some strange reason, opted to antagonize Musk instead. Biden’s not alone either, as other high-profile Democrats have also joined in on the anti-Musk bandwagon — to varying degrees of aggressiveness.

Such a strategy, however, may cost Biden in the upcoming elections. Musk is a prolific CEO, after all, and his social media presence — even if it is likely padded by bots considering Twitter’s issues with fake and spam accounts — is notable. By constantly beating on Musk while ignoring Tesla and SpaceX, Biden and his administration may end up alienating a significant part of the left’s voter base. The upcoming elections would likely show if this would be the case or not.

Don’t hesitate to contact us with news tips. Just send a message to simon@teslarati.com to give us a heads up.

Advertisement

Simon is an experienced automotive reporter with a passion for electric cars and clean energy. Fascinated by the world envisioned by Elon Musk, he hopes to make it to Mars (at least as a tourist) someday. For stories or tips--or even to just say a simple hello--send a message to his email, simon@teslarati.com or his handle on X, @ResidentSponge.

Advertisement
Comments

Investor's Corner

X clarifies xAI prediction market rumors, hints at future plans

Musk’s AI firm denied rumors of a Kalshi deal but left the door open. Prediction markets + AI could change how we forecast everything.

Published

on

Credit: xAI

X dismissed rumors of xAI entering prediction market partnerships. In a recent X post, Elon Musk’s company clarified that xAI had not yet entered formal partnerships in the prediction market.

However, xAI clarification hinted at future exploration in the prediction market, aligning with X’s goal to become an “everything app.” The speculation underscores AI’s potential to reshape predictive analytics.

“Recent speculation about xAI’s involvement in the prediction market space has been circulating. While we’re enthusiastic about the potential of this industry and engaged in various discussions, no formal partnerships have been confirmed to date. Stay tuned!” noted the X team.

X’s statement followed a Tuesday post by Kalshi, hinting at a collaboration with xAI, which was deleted hours later. Kalshi suggested that xAI could leverage AI to analyze X’s news and social media data, enhancing betting decisions on political and economic events.

Advertisement

Bloomberg reported Kalshi aims to use xAI for tailored insights, enabling users to wager on outcomes like Federal Reserve rate changes or elections through derivative contracts.

“There’s deep alignment between prediction markets, social media, and AI. Prediction markets capture what people know — AI scales what people can know,” said Kalshi CEO Tarek Mansour. “This is just the beginning of a long collaboration to unlock the full potential of prediction markets.”

The prediction market industry fits X’s vision to evolve into a comprehensive platform, capitalizing on its trend and news leader role. While xAI’s denial quashes immediate partnership claims, its openness to discussions signals potential interest in prediction markets, where AI could amplify real-time insights.

xAI’s cautious stance reflects its focus on strategic AI development while navigating speculative buzz. As X pursues its “everything app” ambition, prediction markets could enhance its ecosystem, blending social media’s pulse with AI-driven analytics. With no partnerships confirmed, xAI’s future moves may yet redefine how users engage with event-based predictions, positioning it at the forefront of AI innovation.

Advertisement
Continue Reading

Elon Musk

Elon Musk sends stern warning to Tesla vandals, doubters

Elon Musk sent another warning to vandals that have attacked Tesla for political reasons.

Published

on

NORAD and USNORTHCOM Public Affairs, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons

Elon Musk has sent a stern warning to Tesla vandals, doubters, and attackers, who have subjected the company and its owners to political violence through arson and other modes of retaliation.

Over the past few months, Tesla showrooms and vehicles have been hit with numerous attacks from those who have opposed Musk and his political involvement with the Trump Administration. Although Musk has stepped back from his role within government significantly since the start of May, the company is still looked at as a political target.

While the White House has put a clear-cut line on the acts, calling them domestic terrorism and holding those responsible for the damage they have done, there are still numerous and daily instances of keying cars or worse.

Yesterday, Musk continued to send stern warnings to those who oppose Tesla and choose to handle their distaste for the company with violence and vandalism. In a Bloomberg interview at the Qatar Economic Forum, Musk was asked if he took what has happened to Tesla “over the past few months personally.”

Musk replied simply but sternly: “Yes.”

He went on to say that not only will those who vandalized the company and its products owned by consumers be held to the fullest extent of the law, but also those who fund it.

Musk also said during a CNBC interview yesterday that very few people buy a company’s products because of the CEO’s political beliefs, and many people do not even know where those CEOs stand on various social issues.

Although Musk has gone out of his way to be transparent about his beliefs, he has a valid point. He obviously felt that, because of his influence, he held a duty to uphold American values and protect what he felt was an attack on free speech and human rights.

Disagreeing with Musk and his political stances is totally reasonable, but damaging products that consumers bought from his companies is not impacting him directly. Instead, it is making consumers’ lives more difficult.

Continue Reading

News

Tesla Model 3 gets perfect 5-star Euro NCAP safety rating

Tesla prides itself on producing some of the safest vehicles on the road today.

Published

on

Credit: Tesla Singapore/X

Tesla prides itself on producing some of the safest vehicles on the road today. Based on recent findings from the Euro NCAP, the 2025 Model 3 sedan continues this tradition, with the vehicle earning a 5-star overall safety rating from the agency.

Standout Safety Features

As could be seen on the Euro NCAP’s official website, the 2025 Model 3 achieved an overall score of 90% for Adult Occupants, 93% for Child Occupants, 89% for Vulnerable Road Users, and 87% for Safety Assist. This rating, as per the Euro NCAP, applies to the Model 3 Rear Wheel Drive, Long Range Rear Wheel Drive, Long Range All Wheel Drive, and Performance All Wheel Drive.

The Euro NCAP highlighted a number of the Model 3’s safety features, such as its Active Hood, which automatically lifts during collisions to mitigate injury risks to vulnerable road users, and Automatic Emergency Braking System, which now detects motorcycles through an upgraded algorithm. The Euro NCAP also mentioned the Model 3’s feature that prevents initial door opening if someone is approaching the vehicle’s blind spot.

Standout Safety Features

In a post on its official Tesla Europe & Middle East account, Tesla noted that the company is also introducing new features that make the Model 3 even safer than it is today. These include functions like head-on collision avoidance and crossing traffic AEB, as well as Child Left Alone Detection, among other safety features.

“We also introduced new features to improve Safety Assist functionality even further – like head-on collision avoidance & crossing traffic AEB – to detect & respond to potential hazards faster, helping avoid accidents in the first place. 

Advertisement

“Lastly, we released Child Left Alone Detection – if an unattended child is detected, the vehicle will turn on HVAC & alert caregivers via phone app & the vehicle itself (flashing lights/audible alert). Because we’re using novel in-cabin radar sensing, your Tesla is able to distinguish between adult vs child – reduced annoyance to adults, yet critical safety feature for kids,” Tesla wrote in its post on X.

Below is the Euro NCAP’s safety report on the 2025 Tesla Model 3 sedan.

Euroncap 2025 Tesla Model 3 Datasheet by Simon Alvarez on Scribd

Continue Reading

Trending