Former US Vice President Kamala Harris said then-President Joe Biden made a “big mistake” by not inviting Tesla CEO Elon Musk to a 2021 White House event on electric vehicles. The event, which took place in August 2021, included executives from General Motors, Ford and Stellantis, but Musk was notably absent despite Tesla being the country’s leading electric car maker.
“I thought it was a big mistake”
“I write in the book that I thought it was a big mistake not to invite Elon Musk when we were doing the big EV event,” Harris told Fortune on Tuesday. She referenced her memoir, 107 Days, in which she also criticized Biden for initially running for re-election despite his health problems.
Tesla’s role has been overlooked
“I mean, here’s America’s main producer of extraordinary innovation in this space,” Harris said of Musk, who also heads SpaceX. She added that presidents should “set aside political loyalties” when acknowledging technological innovation.
Political and work context
Musk’s ouster was widely seen as a gesture of support for the United Auto Workers and organized labor, since Tesla’s plants are not unionized. Harris wrote in her book that while the administration’s choice “sent a message about Musk’s anti-union stance,” she personally felt that “it just doesn’t make sense to cut him out as a top player in the business.”
Impact on Musk and politics
“So I thought it was a mistake, and I don’t know Elon Musk, but I have to assume it was something that hit him hard and impacted his perspective,” Harris said. She noted in her memoir that Musk never forgave the insult, which may have affected his later political support.
From EV insults to Trump support
Harris said Musk endorsed then-former President Donald Trump in the 2024 election and contributed roughly $300 million to the Republican campaign effort. “Musk never forgave it,” she wrote, highlighting the long-term implications of the White House’s decision.
