Former Vice President Kamala Harris criticized President Biden for not inviting Elon Musk to a 2021 electric vehicle event, calling it a “big mistake.”
Former Vice President Kamala Harris recently expressed her belief that President Joe Biden made a significant error by not inviting Tesla CEO Elon Musk to a White House event focused on electric vehicles in 2021.
During a discussion at Fortune’s Most Powerful Women Summit in Washington, D.C., Harris reflected on the August 2021 event, which featured executives from General Motors, Ford, and Stellantis, but notably excluded Musk, despite Tesla being the leading electric vehicle manufacturer in the United States.
“I write in the book that I thought it was a big mistake to not invite Elon Musk when we did a big EV event,” Harris stated, referring to her memoir, “107 Days.” In her book, she also critiques Biden for initially running for re-election amid health concerns.
Harris emphasized Musk’s role as a major American innovator in the electric vehicle space, saying, “Here he is, the major American manufacturer of extraordinary innovation in this space.” Musk is also known for his leadership at SpaceX.
The decision to exclude Musk was interpreted by many as an effort to support the United Auto Workers (UAW) and organized labor, given that Tesla’s workforce is not unionized. Harris noted in her memoir that she believed Biden was “sending a message about Musk’s anti-union stance,” but she argued that excluding him as a key player in the industry “simply doesn’t make sense.”
At the time, then-White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki explained that the event featured “the three largest employers of the United Auto Workers,” highlighting the administration’s focus on unionized labor. When questioned about whether Musk’s exclusion was a form of punishment for Tesla’s non-union status, Psaki remarked, “I’ll let you draw your own conclusion.”
The Biden administration defended its decision to invite only certain automakers, describing them as crucial partners in the president’s initiative to promote union jobs.
Harris further asserted that presidents should “put aside political loyalties” when acknowledging technological advancements. She expressed concern that the decision to exclude Musk may have affected his perspective on the administration, saying, “I don’t know Elon Musk, but I have to assume that that was something that hit him hard and had an impact on his perspective.”
Following the event, Musk appeared to express his displeasure over the snub, making several comments on social media. He remarked, “Yeah, seems odd that Tesla wasn’t invited,” and later suggested that the Biden administration seemed “controlled by unions” and was “not the friendliest administration.”
After the news broke that Tesla would not be included, administration officials reportedly extended an apology, according to The Wall Street Journal. Biden aides attempted to mend the relationship, but tensions between Musk and the administration persisted.
Harris’ remarks align with a passage in her memoir where she reiterates that the decision to exclude Tesla was a mistake, suggesting it alienated Musk, who later became a prominent financial supporter of former President Donald Trump.
“Musk never forgave it,” she wrote, noting that he subsequently endorsed Trump in the 2024 election and contributed approximately $300 million to Republican campaign efforts.
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