Photo/Alex Brandon
The U.S. State Department could soon award Elon Musk’s electric vehicle company a $400 million contract for a so-called “armored Tesla,” according to a report.
Drop Site News reported the tech billionaire, who is currently working for President Donald Trump to slash government jobs, departments, and contracts, could benefit from a major one in the coming months. The outlet reported:
The State Department’s procurement forecast, revised as of late December 2024, lists Tesla as the recipient of the largest expected contract, with Marco Rubio’s department planning to buy $400,000,000 worth of “Armored Tesla.”
The award is targeted for Q4, and is forecast to last for five years.
The procurement forecast is listed as having been modified on December 13, 2024, a month after Donald Trump’s election. The State Department did not immediately respond to a request for comment. Under the heading, “extent competed,” the document reads merely “TBD.”
Musk has come under increasing scrutiny in recent weeks for his work on the so-called Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE). The pseudo-White House commission has claimed to have uncovered billions of waste and fraud.
Meanwhile, SpaceX and Tesla have received a combined $18 billion in federal contracts since 2015 – with a majority going to Musk’s space technology company, ABC News reported.
White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt claimed last week Musk would be careful to avoid any conflict of interest but did not explain how. Leavitt implied Musk was acting on an honor system.
Musk addressed reporters about his role in Trump’s White House alongside Trump. A reporter noted he had been the beneficiary of billions in government contracts.
“Is there any sort of accountability check and balance in place that would provide any transparency for the American people?” she asked.
Musk claimed his actions with DOGE were “fully public” and said if a conflict arose he fully expected the media would flag it.
Trump said he would not have enlisted Musk to work for him if he “thought there was a lack of transparency or a conflict of interest.”
