Former Vice President Kamala Harris speaks during the Fortune Most Powerful Women Gala 2025 at Washington National Cathedral on October 14, 2025, in Washington, D.C. (Getty Images)
Musk's snub was widely viewed as an effort to support the United Auto Workers and organized labor overall, since Tesla plants are not unionized. Harris wrote in her book that she believed Biden was "sending a message about Musk's anti-union stance" but that she thought excluding him as the top player in the field "simply doesn't make sense."
Then–White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki said the event featured "the three largest employers of the United Auto Workers," emphasizing that Tesla's workers are not unionized.
Pressed on whether Musk's snub was punishment for his workers not being unionized, Psaki told reporters: "I'll let you draw your own conclusion."
The Biden administration defended inviting only those automakers, calling them key partners in the president’s push for union jobs.
Former President Joe Biden hosted an EV event at the White House in 2021 with executives from General Motors, Ford and Stellantis, but Elon Musk was not invited. (AP)
After Musk learned Tesla would not be invited, administration officials offered an apology, according to The Wall Street Journal. Biden aides later attempted to soothe things over, but tensions remained.
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Harris' comments on Tuesday mirrored a passage from her new book in which she wrote that the Biden administration’s move not to include Tesla was a mistake and that it appeared to alienate Musk, who later became one of current President Donald Trump’s top financial backers.
"Musk never forgave it," she wrote.
Musk later endorsed Trump in the 2024 election and contributed roughly $300 million toward Republican campaign efforts.
https://www.foxnews.com/politics/kamala-harris-says-biden-made-big-mistake-not-inviting-musk-ev-event-2021