Musk, State Dept. push back on reports of plan to buy $400M of armored Teslas
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Elon Musk speaks in the Oval Office of the White House on Feb. 11. Photo: Jim Watson/AFP via Getty Images
Elon Musk and the State Department pushed back on reports Thursday that the agency was slated to purchase $400 million worth of armored Tesla Cybertrucks.
Why it matters: Musk, arguably the most powerful bureaucrat in the Trump administration, has faced mounting questions about his potential conflicts of interest while working inside the government.
- As the head of the Department of Governmental Efficiency (DOGE), Musk is leading the Trump administration's efforts to radically reshape the federal government.
- At the same time, Musk's companies — like SpaceX, Tesla and Neuralink — receive lucrative government contracts.
Driving the news: Musk took to X early Thursday morning to refute the alleged contract, responding to a user who had posted about it.
- "I'm pretty sure Tesla isn't getting $400M. No one mentioned it to me, at least," he wrote.
- A State Department official also denied the reports to Axios, saying that "no government contract has been awarded to Tesla or any other vehicle manufacturer to produce armored electric vehicles for the Department of State."
Zoom in: The Biden administration had explored interest from private companies to produce armored electric vehicles, but the plan never reached the stage of an official solicitation, the official said.
- "The solicitation is on hold and there are no current plans to issue it," the official added.
State of play: The State Department's 2025 procurement forecast states that the administration is set to purchase $400 million worth of "armored electric vehicles."
- The entry on the procurement forecast — which was initially published last December, before Trump took office — shows that it was edited Wednesday evening.
- Yet a previous version of the forecast viewed by Axios showed an entry for the same amount listed as "Armored Tesla (Production Units)." The description appeared to point toward Tesla's steel-covered Cybertrucks.
- Tesla did not immediately respond to Axios' request for comment.
The big picture: Musk, the world's richest man, is a bonafide Republican megadonor and gave at least $288 million to help elect Trump and other GOP candidates in the 2024 election.
- Musk waved off questions about his potential conflicts of interest during a Tuesday press conference with Trump, touting the transparency of his actions heading up DOGE.
Go deeper: The elusive link between Elon's politics and Tesla sales
Editor's note: This story has been updated with additional context.
