Critics said the spectacle stretched the bounds of what is ethical in the White House, with Trump openly seeking to boost the financial fortunes of Elon Musk.

Ethics experts are sounding the alarm that the president's event with Elon Musk could eliminate the lines of proper objectivity from elected officials.

Instead of the presidential motorcade of large, black SUVs lined up on the driveway of the South Lawn, there were five Teslas for Trump to peruse. Trump announced his intention to buy a Tesla on Monday night to support his close adviser billionaire Elon Musk,

Mr. Musk is fundamentally a creature of Silicon Valley, a scene that initiated an entire revolution in power dressing. The young masters of that universe dressed down to show that they were members of a new elite — one that refused to dress like the grown-ups they were about to topple. It was the defeat of the suit by the T-shirt.

The head of President Donald Trump’s government efficiency effort, Elon Musk, is emerging as a messaging punching bag for Democrats as they pick up the pieces of their stinging defeat in last year’s elections and search for a winning message for 2026.