Former President Donald Trump has confirmed that he recently met with Elon Musk in Palm Beach, Florida, along with some unnamed wealthy Republican donors.
However, during an interview on CNBC's SquawkBox on Monday, Trump also admitted that he does not know if he will get the support of one of the world's wealthiest men.
Donald Trump Disagrees With Elon Musk on Electric Vehicles
Donald Trump noted that he likes Elon Musk, but they were "obviously" not on the same page regarding electric vehicles (EVs). The former president explained that the state of the US electric grid was "obsolete and a disaster." That is why he believes that EVs are not ready for prime time.
"I'm all for electric cars but you have to have all of the alternatives also... First of all they don't go far, they cost too much, and they're all going to be made in China," Trump said during the interview.
"Electric cars - there's not even the possibility to go all-electric... This Biden all-electric mandate is by very, very stupid people," he added.
Business Insider reported that Trump likely referred to President Joe Biden's push to make 60% of automakers' new vehicle production be EVs by 2030 in an attempt to combat climate change.
Donald Trump Claims He 'Helped' Elon Musk
Donald Trump also said that he helped Elon Musk while he was in the White House, NBC News reported.
"Look, I've been friendly with him over the years. I've helped him when I was president. I helped him. I've liked him," the former president noted.
However, it was not clear what help Trump was referring to. Trump met with the Tesla CEO last week as the former president seeks to boost donations to his presidential campaign. However, Musk later said he would not donate money to "either candidate for US president."
Trump's remarks came as he and his allies continue to convince Musk to speak at the Republican convention in July. Last November, the SpaceX founder said he does not see himself voting for Joe Biden.
"I think I would not vote for Biden... I am not saying I would vote for Trump but I mean... this is definitely a difficult choice here," Musk said during a 90-minute appearance at the New York Times DealBook Summit.
Musk admitted that his issue with Biden stemmed from the White House not including Tesla in an event on EVs that it hosted several months after Biden took office.
The Tesla CEO recalled that Biden even added "insult to injury" by praising General Motors for leading the "electric car revolution."
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