• Home
  • Latest
  • Fortune 500
  • Finance
  • Tech
  • Leadership
  • Lifestyle
  • Rankings
  • Multimedia

Trendingnow

1

Ex-PepsiCo CEO Indra Nooyi worked from midnight until 5 a.m. as a receptionist to pay for her Yale degree—and she says ‘respect went up’ because of it

2

Shark Tank's Kevin O'Leary says if he were 25 today, he'd chase these two booming opportunities in the world of AI

3

China’s birth rate just hit its lowest point since 1949—and Trip.com cofounder James Liang thinks that’s a threat to innovation

1

Ex-PepsiCo CEO Indra Nooyi worked from midnight until 5 a.m. as a receptionist to pay for her Yale degree—and she says ‘respect went up’ because of it

2

Shark Tank's Kevin O'Leary says if he were 25 today, he'd chase these two booming opportunities in the world of AI

3

China’s birth rate just hit its lowest point since 1949—and Trip.com cofounder James Liang thinks that’s a threat to innovation
Tesla

Elon Musk is still upset that Biden is ignoring Tesla—but promises he won’t embarrass the president if they meet

Nicholas Gordon
By
Nicholas Gordon
Nicholas Gordon
Asia Editor
Down Arrow Button Icon
Nicholas Gordon
By
Nicholas Gordon
Nicholas Gordon
Asia Editor
Down Arrow Button Icon
February 23, 2022, 5:04 AM ET
Add Fortune on Google for similar content.

Weeks after President Joe Biden finally said the word “Tesla” in public, Elon Musk is still convinced the president is ignoring him—yet promises to behave if the White House ever extends an invitation. 

In an email exchange with CNBC, the outspoken CEO of Tesla repeated his stance that the Biden administration is ignoring the achievements of the electric-car maker in favor of more established auto manufacturers.

“Biden has pointedly ignored Tesla at every turn and falsely stated to the public that GM leads the electric car industry,” says Musk. “Tesla produced over 300,000 electric vehicles last quarter, and GM produced 26.”

Last year GM halted production of its electric vehicles, such as the Chevrolet Bolt, owing to battery defects. Production is expected to restart on April 4, according to the Detroit News. 

Musk corresponded with CNBC following reports that the Tesla CEO would not be included in future meetings between the administration and corporate leaders.

When asked if administration officials should worry that he’d embarrass the president if invited to a White House event, Musk said, “They have nothing to worry about…I would do the right thing.”

The White House’s apparent indifference to Tesla has been a sticking point for the CEO and his fans for months. Musk has complained that Biden tends to tout long-established automakers like General Motors and Ford Motor as the future of American car manufacturing—not Tesla.

After an August White House meeting of carmakers—which excluded Tesla—Musk claimed the administration was “not the friendliest” and “controlled by the unions.”

In January, Musk responded to an official White House video featuring GM CEO Mary Barra to again complain that Tesla was being left out.

Starts with a T
Ends with an A
ESL in the middle

— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) January 27, 2022

In a social media campaign in February, Tesla fans urged Biden to mention the electric vehicle company by name.

Biden did so in prepared remarks on Feb. 8, calling Tesla “our nation’s largest electric vehicle manufacturer.” In a statement to CNBC on Tuesday, the White House called Tesla “a big part of why the whole industry now knows EVs are the future.”

Still, the relationship between the carmaker and the administration seems to be frosty at best.

Tesla’s nonunionized workforce is a major sticking point for the Biden administration and congressional Democrats. Tesla has been accused of suppressing union activities at the car manufacturer’s plants, and Musk was even ordered to delete a tweet threatening to take away stock options from employees who unionized.

Musk is a frequent critic of the Biden administration’s policies. In December, Musk complained at the Wall Street Journal’s CEO Council summit that Biden’s Build Back Better plan included “unnecessary” investment in electric charging stations and suggested the U.S. government “get rid of all subsidies.” 

The Tesla CEO’s dismissal of subsidies seemed to irritate the White House, with a spokesperson telling CNBC on Tuesday that Tesla “benefited greatly from past EV tax credits.”

Musk has also punched back at regulators who have probed the company, recently calling the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration the “fun police” for forcing the company to disable a “Boombox” feature that would have allowed cars to play music through external speakers.

Musk’s lawyers have argued that the CEO’s public criticism of the government has elicited undue federal scrutiny. In a Feb. 17 court filing, Tesla attorney Alex Spiro argued that the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission was investigating Tesla and Musk because the Tesla CEO is “an outspoken critic of the government.” The SEC was trying to “chill” Musk’s right to free expression, Spiro argued. 

Musk is subject to a settlement with the SEC regarding a tweet he published that teased the possibility of Tesla going private. According to the settlement, a Tesla lawyer must review Musk tweets that pertain to company interests. The SEC has reportedly warned Tesla for failing to abide by the terms of settlement.

At times, Musk has also taunted Biden personally. When a Twitter user asked why Biden had failed to congratulate SpaceX on its first all-civilian flight crew, Musk responded, “He’s still sleeping.”

Musk has gone after other heads of state, tweeting—and later deleting—a meme comparing Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau to Adolf Hitler amid the “Freedom Convoy” protests.

When promising to behave at a possible White House meeting, Musk wasn’t above a bit of levity. Musk’s pledge to “do the right thing” was actually his second answer to CNBC’s question on whether the Tesla CEO might embarrass the president.

The first? Two “roll on the floor laughing” emojis.

Never miss a story: Follow your favorite topics and authors to get a personalized email with the journalism that matters most to you.

About the Author
Nicholas Gordon
By Nicholas GordonAsia Editor
LinkedIn iconTwitter icon

Nicholas Gordon is an Asia editor based in Hong Kong, where he helps to drive Fortune’s coverage of Asian business and economics news.

See full bioRight Arrow Button Icon
Add Fortune on Google for similar content.

Latest in

Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025

Most Popular

Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Fortune Secondary Logo
Rankings
  • 100 Best Companies
  • Fortune 500
  • Global 500
  • Fortune 500 Europe
  • Most Powerful Women
  • World's Most Admired Companies
  • See All Rankings
  • Lists Calendar
Sections
  • Finance
  • Fortune Crypto
  • Features
  • Leadership
  • Health
  • Commentary
  • Success
  • Retail
  • Mpw
  • Tech
  • Lifestyle
  • CEO Initiative
  • Asia
  • Politics
  • Conferences
  • Europe
  • Newsletters
  • Personal Finance
  • Environment
  • Magazine
  • Education
Customer Support
  • Frequently Asked Questions
  • Customer Service Portal
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms Of Use
  • Single Issues For Purchase
  • International Print
Commercial Services
  • Advertising
  • Fortune Brand Studio
  • Fortune Analytics
  • Fortune Conferences
  • Business Development
  • Group Subscriptions
About Us
  • About Us
  • Press Center
  • Work At Fortune
  • Terms And Conditions
  • Site Map
  • About Us
  • Press Center
  • Work At Fortune
  • Terms And Conditions
  • Site Map
  • Facebook icon
  • Twitter icon
  • LinkedIn icon
  • Instagram icon
  • Pinterest icon

Latest in

Close to a million investors of the Trump memecoin lost a collective $3.8 billion, even as the president disclosed $636 million in earnings
CryptoCryptocurrency
Close to a million investors of the Trump memecoin lost a collective $3.8 billion, even as the president disclosed $636 million in earnings
By Marco Quiroz-GutierrezJuly 7, 2026
11 hours ago
The Best Berberine Supplements (2026): Everything You Need to Know
HealthDietary Supplements
The Best Berberine Supplements (2026): Everything You Need to Know
By Christina SnyderJuly 7, 2026
11 hours ago
Presidents aren’t supposed to pick winners, former White House ethics lawyer says. Trump keeps choosing Dell
PoliticsDonald Trump
Presidents aren’t supposed to pick winners, former White House ethics lawyer says. Trump keeps choosing Dell
By Mia OsmonbekovJuly 7, 2026
11 hours ago
Meet the former Goldman Sachs exec who became the America’s Cup Partnership’s first CEO and is running the 175-year-old trophy like a startup
C-SuiteSports
Meet the former Goldman Sachs exec who became the America’s Cup Partnership’s first CEO and is running the 175-year-old trophy like a startup
By Catherina GioinoJuly 7, 2026
11 hours ago
Palantir CEO Alex Karp with his arms outstretched while making a point on stage.
NewslettersEye on AI
Palantir CEO Alex Karp is wrong about the threat Anthropic and OpenAI pose to most enterprises. That doesn’t mean he doesn’t have something to lose
By Jeremy KahnJuly 7, 2026
12 hours ago
Scott Wu, in front of a blue background, sits in a gray chair and speaks to a person out of frame.
AIProductivity
Cognition CEO says tech companies got ‘carried away’ with token leaderboards and should measure employees on output instead
By Sasha RogelbergJuly 7, 2026
13 hours ago

Most Popular

Ex-PepsiCo CEO Indra Nooyi worked from midnight until 5 a.m. as a receptionist to pay for her Yale degree—and she says ‘respect went up’ because of it
Success
Ex-PepsiCo CEO Indra Nooyi worked from midnight until 5 a.m. as a receptionist to pay for her Yale degree—and she says ‘respect went up’ because of it
By Preston ForeJuly 6, 2026
2 days ago
Shark Tank's Kevin O'Leary says if he were 25 today, he'd chase these two booming opportunities in the world of AI
AI
Shark Tank's Kevin O'Leary says if he were 25 today, he'd chase these two booming opportunities in the world of AI
By Marco Quiroz-GutierrezJuly 5, 2026
3 days ago
China’s birth rate just hit its lowest point since 1949—and Trip.com cofounder James Liang thinks that’s a threat to innovation
Asia
China’s birth rate just hit its lowest point since 1949—and Trip.com cofounder James Liang thinks that’s a threat to innovation
By Nicholas GordonJuly 7, 2026
24 hours ago
Current price of oil as of July 7, 2026
Personal Finance
Current price of oil as of July 7, 2026
By Joseph HostetlerJuly 7, 2026
18 hours ago
Despite a $220 million net worth, Rafael Nadal says he won't retire because he hates waking up to no plans—so he's opened a chain of hotels instead
Success
Despite a $220 million net worth, Rafael Nadal says he won't retire because he hates waking up to no plans—so he's opened a chain of hotels instead
By Orianna Rosa RoyleJuly 7, 2026
24 hours ago
Even as Elon Musk calls philanthropy ‘very hard,’ everyday Americans gave a record $617 billion—despite feeling the squeeze over the cost of living
Success
Even as Elon Musk calls philanthropy ‘very hard,’ everyday Americans gave a record $617 billion—despite feeling the squeeze over the cost of living
By Preston ForeJuly 4, 2026
4 days ago

© 2026 Fortune Media IP Limited. All Rights Reserved. Use of this site constitutes acceptance of our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy | CA Notice at Collection and Privacy Notice | Do Not Sell/Share My Personal Information
FORTUNE is a trademark of Fortune Media IP Limited, registered in the U.S. and other countries. FORTUNE may receive compensation for some links to products and services on this website. Offers may be subject to change without notice.