Diyar Guldogan
March 04, 2025•Update: March 04, 2025
WASHINGTON
US Sen. Richard Blumenthal asked Secretary of State Marco Rubio for answers about the agency’s reported plan to purchase $400 million worth of armored Teslas.
Blumenthal said in a letter to Rubio on Monday that “the State Department has publicly stated that the contract was planned during the Biden Administration and that the Trump Administration canceled it. Recent reporting seems to contradict this account."
“The question has been raised whether, after significant public blowback, the Trump Administration created and backdated government documents to make it appear that the idea to spend $400 million in taxpayer money on Tesla Cybertrucks originated with the previous administration,” Blumenthal said.
Tesla CEO Elon Musk, who leads the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) and close advisor to President Donald Trump, is helping to cut US government spending and government contracts.
"If that occurred, the Trump Administration not only recognizes the tremendous conflicts of interest inherent in Mr. Musk’s dual roles, but is also taking active steps to hide the fact that it is ensuring that Mr. Musk’s position is benefitting his companies," Blumenthal said.
Blumenthal noted that he sent a letter to Rubio last month as well, but did not receive a response.
