Former Vice President Kamala Harris has expressed regret over President Joe Biden’s decision to exclude Tesla CEO Elon Musk from a White House event focused on electric vehicles (EVs) in August 2021. During an interview with Fortune, Harris stated, “I thought it was a big mistake” to not invite Musk, particularly given that Tesla is the leading manufacturer in the EV sector in the United States. She elaborated on this sentiment in her memoir, “107 Days,” where she also critiqued Biden’s decision to run for re-election despite his health challenges.
Harris emphasized the significance of Elon Musk’s contributions to the automotive industry, describing him as “the major American manufacturer of extraordinary innovation in this space,” and argued that political allegiances should not hinder acknowledgment of technological progress. The absence of Musk from the event sparked discussions about the Biden administration’s support for organized labor, as Tesla’s workforce remains non-unionized. It was perceived that Musk’s exclusion was a message regarding his anti-union position, though Harris personally felt that omitting him from the discussion didn’t align with the spirit of innovation.
Harris noted that the snub could have had a lasting impact on Musk, suggesting that it affected his political perspective. She mentioned in her memoir that Musk likely bore the disappointment and that it could have influenced his subsequent political engagements. These comments reveal a complex relationship between technological innovation, labor politics, and the evolving dynamics within the Democratic Party.