- Former Vice President Kamala Harris says her former boss, Joe Biden, made a “big mistake” by excluding Tesla CEO Elon Musk from a 2021 White House EV summit.
- The decision was widely seen as a pro-union move, as the event featured only automakers with unionized workforces.
- Harris suggests the snub alienated Musk, who later became a major financial supporter of Donald Trump and the Republican party.
- The revelation comes from Harris’s new memoir, “107 Days,” and recent comments at a Fortune summit.
Harris Criticizes Former Administration’s Move
In a surprising break from party loyalty, former Vice President Kamala Harris has publicly criticized a key decision made during her time in office, calling former President Joe Biden’s failure to invite Elon Musk to a 2021 electric vehicle event a “big mistake.” The comments were made Tuesday at Fortune’s Most Powerful Women Summit and are echoed in her new memoir, “107 Days.”
“I write in the book that I thought it was a big mistake to not invite Elon Musk when we did a big EV event,” Harris stated, emphasizing Musk’s critical role in the industry. “I mean, here he is, the major American manufacturer of extraordinary innovation in this space.”
The 2021 White House Snub
The event in question took place in August 2021, when the Biden administration hosted executives from General Motors, Ford, and Stellantis to promote the future of electric vehicles. Conspicuously absent was Musk, despite Tesla being the dominant force in the EV market. The move was widely interpreted as a nod to the United Auto Workers (UAW), as Tesla’s factories are not unionized. At the time, then–White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki confirmed the event featured “the three largest employers of the United Auto Workers,” and when pressed if the exclusion was punishment, she told reporters, “I’ll let you draw your own conclusion.”
Political Fallout and a Billionaire’s Turn
Harris believes the decision had significant and lasting political repercussions. She argued that presidents should “put aside political loyalties” to recognize technological innovation. The exclusion, she suggests, personally affected the billionaire entrepreneur.
“I don’t know Elon Musk, but I have to assume that that was something that hit him hard and had an impact on his perspective,” she said.
Musk’s reaction at the time confirms he was offended. “Yeah, seems odd that Tesla wasn’t invited,” he posted on social media. A month later, he criticized the Biden administration as being “controlled by unions.” According to Harris, the damage was permanent. In her book, she writes, “Musk never forgave it.” This alienation appears to have had a tangible political cost, as Musk went on to endorse Donald Trump in the 2024 election and contributed hundreds of millions of dollars to Republican campaigns.
Image Referance: https://www.foxnews.com/politics/kamala-harris-says-biden-made-big-mistake-not-inviting-musk-ev-event-2021