Donald Trump has claimed that California Governor Gavin Newsom made no attempt to contact Elon Musk before moving Tesla’s headquarters out of the state.
In an interview with entrepreneur and podcaster Patrick Bet-David, the former president revealed that he asked Musk if Newsom had tried to convince him to keep the automaker in the state.
“I said, did Newsom even call you? Did he call and say, ‘Can we go to dinner, I’d like you to stay here and we’ll work out some tax breaks or an incentive to stay?'” Trump said.
‘He said he never called. I was surprised about that. You are talking about thousands of workers and prestige,” he added.
Musk officially moved Tesla’s headquarters from Palo Alto, California, to Austin, Texas, in December 2021.
Donald Trump said he asked Musk if Newsom tried to persuade him to keep his multibillion-dollar company in California — and he said no
At the time, Musk said it had become difficult for employees to afford homes in the expensive Bay Area, meaning many had a long commute to work.
But before taking the step, the billionaire had already fallen out with officials in the state.
In 2020, he threatened to withdraw all Tesla operations from the Golden State in response to Covid-era laws, including shelter-in-place orders that temporarily shuttered the factory.
California had also launched a series of regulatory investigations regarding the company’s treatment of its employees.
“The biggest entrepreneur in your state is leaving and you’re not calling him,” Bet-David said in response to Trump’s comments on his PBD podcast.
Entrepreneur Bet-David is worth about $350 million, from his financial services business, book sales and even a stake in the New York Yankees.
Tesla, which employs about 121,000 people worldwide, has a market value of about $700 billion.
In July, Musk also announced he would move the headquarters of his two other companies, SpaceX and X, from California to Texas in protest of the state’s gender identity laws.
He said Newsom’s signing of a law banning California school districts from notifying parents if their child is transgender “was the final straw.”
However, Tesla still has its technical headquarters in Palo Alto, California.
At a joint press conference to announce the move in February 2023, Newsom said it was a “point of pride” that Tesla once again has a factory in California.
“We are changing the world through our historic investments, our talent pipeline and partnerships with companies like Tesla,” Newsom said.
Earlier this year, Tesla also appeared to be hiring at its California headquarters, with hundreds of positions posted in the Bay Area in July. San Francisco Chronicle reported.
Tesla’s headquarters are in Texas, but its engineering headquarters are still in California
Donald Trump has claimed that California Governor Gavin Newsom ‘never called’ Elon Musk when he moved Tesla’s headquarters out of the state
Musk officially moved Tesla’s headquarters from Palo Alto, California, to Austin, Texas, in December 2021 (photo)
Trump made the claim during an interview with right-wing podcaster Patrick Bet-David
Musk, the richest person in the world with a net worth of $242 billion according to Bloomberg, first expressed his support for Trump on July 13.
The businessman has since jumped into the race, appearing with Trump at a rally in Butler, Pennsylvania, and setting up a political action committee (PAC) to funnel his money into the fight.
He initially said he would give $100 to every registered voter in Pennsylvania who signed the petition for free speech and the Second Amendment.
Days later, he announced a lottery-style giveaway of $1 million for Pennsylvania residents who sign the petition, raising concerns among some officials and legal experts.
Documents released this week show he donated nearly $75 million to the PAC, catapulting him to the top of the GOP donor list.