Elon Musk dubbed Joe Biden a ‘damp sock puppet’ after he wasn’t invited to a meeting at the White House focusing on electric vehicles, but CEOs of General Motors (GM) and Ford were in attendance.
The billionaire Tesla CEO, 50, called President Joe Biden, 79, a ‘damp sock puppet’ after he wasn’t invited to president’s Build Back Better meeting that focused on producing electric vehicles in the US on Wednesday.
Biden praised General Motors and Ford in a tweet on Wednesday for ‘building more electric vehicles here at home than ever before.’
‘I meant it when I said the future was going to be made right here in America,’ Biden wrote on Twitter. ‘Companies like GM and Ford are building more electric vehicles here at home than ever before.’
Musk, whose billion-dollar company makes its vehicles in California and is now headquartered in Austin, Texas, didn’t take the snub lightly, replying to the tweet: ‘Starts with a T, Ends with an A, ESL in the middle.’
He later replied again: ‘Biden is a wet [sock] puppet in human form.’
The billionaire Tesla CEO Elon Musk, 50, (left) called President Joe Biden, 79,(right) a ‘damp sock puppet’ after he wasn’t invited to president’s Build Back Better meeting that focused on producing electric vehicles in the US on Wednesday
Musk, who’s company is produced in California, shot back at Biden for commending GM and Ford for ‘building more electric vehicles here at home than ever before’
The video attached to the tweet showed Biden standing with General Motors CEO and Chairman of the Board Mary Barra, who said she was ‘happy to announce’ the company was ‘investing $7billion in the state of Michigan in EV [electric vehicle] cars’ and would be producing 4,000 jobs.
Biden promoted EVs as a way to create more American jobs and make a positive impact on climate change.
GM even invited Biden to Factory ZERO in November, where the president was spotted driving the Hummer EV pickup truck.
CEO of GM Mary Barra (left) said her company would be producing 4,000 US jobs and would be ‘investing $7billion in the state of Michigan,’ where the company is located. Ford CEO Jim Farley (right), who attended the meeting, said he ‘appreciated the opportunity to meet with President Biden to discuss the importance of strong consumer EV incentives today’
Ford CEO Jim Farley also tweeted about the meeting, saying that he ‘appreciated the opportunity to meet with President Biden to discuss the importance of strong consumer EV incentives today.’
‘I’m hopeful that our government can find a path forward to make them happen,’ Farley tweeted on Wednesday.
‘Partnerships with the public sector are critical to our ability to transition quickly to a zero-emissions transportation future, avoid the worst impacts of climate change, and ensure US competitiveness. The private sector has a responsibility to act, but we can’t do this alone.’
The focus on electric vehicles is a part of Biden’s Build Back Better plan, which is currently stalled in the Senate due to opposition from one of Biden’s biggest opponents, Democratic Sen. Joe Manchin. As part of the plan, the president supported an extended federal tax credit for EVs.
Musk was also snubbed in August when he was omitted as an attendee to the electric vehicle summit.
At that summit, Biden stood by the CEOs of Ford, GM and Stellantis when he announced his executive order that half the US cars sales will be zero emissions by 2030.
Biden was invited to GM’s Factory ZERO in November to test drive the Hummer EV
Press secretary Jen Psaki later said the three companies that were invited to the summit were ‘the three largest employers of the United Auto Workers.’ Tesla’s auto workers are not unionized.
Musk criticized the Biden administration for seemingly being ‘controlled by the unions.’
‘Does that sound maybe a little biased or something?’ Musk said at the time. ‘It’s not the friendliest administration.’
Tesla produced nearly 1million electric vehicles this year and made $17billion in sales in its fourth quarter.
DailyMail.com contacted the White House for comment.
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