Trump sat in the driver's seat of a brand new red Tesla that he said he planned to buy, with Musk in the passenger seat, but did not test drive it.

Demonstrators have targeted Tesla showrooms in recent weeks in protest against Musk's cost-cutting role in Trump's administration. Trump said they were "harming a great American company", and anyone using violence against the electric carmaker would "go through hell".

The president described the shiny red Model-S, one of a number of Teslas lined up on the White House drive, as "beautiful" but said he was no longer allowed to drive and so would keep the car for the use of White House staff. Current and former presidents are not allowed to drive for security reasons. He also said he would not want to buy a self-driving model, which Musk said would reach the market next year. The showcase for Tesla's cars outside the White House came after Tesla's market value halved since its all-time peak in December, sliding 15% in a single day last Monday, before recovering slightly on Tuesday. Trump said he had told Musk: "You know, Elon, I don't like what's happening to you, and Tesla's a great company." Musk, Trump's top donor in the election campaign, has been tasked with radically cutting government spending through his Department of Government Efficiency (Doge). He has instigated sweeping cuts to federal workforce, cancelled international aid programs, and has voiced support for far-right politics. That has prompted a backlash among Tesla owners.

"Tesla takedown" protests have seen demonstrators gather outside dealerships, in Portland, Oregon, last week, and New York City earlier in March, with the aim of undermining the Tesla brand. Organisers behind the protests said on social media that the demonstrations were peaceful, but a few have been destructive with fires intentionally set at Tesla showrooms and charging stations in Colorado and Massachusetts last week.