Trump vows to buy new Tesla car to show support for Musk amid market decline

US President Donald Trump plans to buy a new Tesla to show support for his ally Elon Musk, who owns the carmaker, amid protests and a decline in the shares price of the electric vehicle firm.

Tesla sales in the last four months since Trump's election were down by 35% compared with the same time last year, according to data from Australia's Electric Vehicle Council.

Tesla facilities across the US, Australia and New Zealand have also been facing protests and vandalism in response to the political role Musk plays in Trump's administration.

Musk leads Trump's department of government efficiency, responsible for cutting government spending on what he sees as taxpayers' money being wasted.

Standing with Musk next to a Tesla Cybertruck at the White House on Tuesday, Trump said he would have the car at the White House and let his staff use it, as he is not allowed to drive and hasn't driven a car in a long time.

“I'm going to buy it because, one, it's a great product, as good as it gets — and two, because Musk has devoted his energy and his life to doing this and I think he has been treated unfairly by a small group of people,” Trump said.

“He has also done an incredible job with Tesla. No-one has started a car company in 30 years that has been [so] successful — not only successful but super successful.”

He said Musk shouldn't be punished for being a “patriot”.

“I want to let people know you can't be penalised for being a patriot and he's being a patriot.

“He's been able to find billions of dollars of fraud and waste. Our country will be strong soon because of a lot of things he has done and a lot of things I'm doing. There's no person like him and he shouldn't be penalised; it should be the opposite. People should love the product, but because he's finding all sorts of terrible things that are happening in our country, they want to penalise him in an economic sense, and I think it's very unfair.”

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