Kristina Roberts
It all began in August 2021, when the White House hosted a grand event to celebrate America’s progress in electric vehicles (EVs). The event brought together big car companies like General Motors, Ford, and Stellantis. Cameras flashed, speeches were made, and promises were shared about making America a leader in clean transportation. But something was missing — or rather, someone. Tesla, the company that had done more than any other to make electric cars popular, wasn’t invited. And its CEO, Elon Musk, wasn’t there either.
Many people found this strange. After all, Tesla wasn’t just another car company. It was the company that had made electric cars exciting, powerful, and desirable. The company had set the standard that others were trying to follow. Yet, as Vice President Kamala Harris later said, that day marked “a big mistake.”
In a recent interview with Fortune magazine, Harris shared her honest thoughts about that decision. “I write in the book that I thought it was a big mistake to not invite Elon Musk when we did a big EV event,” she said. Harris was referring to her memoir, 107 Days, in which she opened up about several key moments from her time in office. One of them was this very event.
At the time, many wondered why Tesla — the biggest name in EVs — had been left out. The White House had invited traditional carmakers, but not the company that had transformed the electric vehicle market. “I mean, here he is, the major American manufacturer of extraordinary innovation in this space,” Harris said about Musk. “Presidents should put aside political loyalties when recognizing technological innovation.”
Harris’s words pointed to something deeper — the tension between politics and progress. Some experts believed that Tesla was excluded to show support for the United Auto Workers (UAW), one of the most powerful labor unions in the country. Tesla’s factories were not unionized, and Elon Musk had often spoken against unionization. By inviting only the companies with union workers, the Biden administration seemed to be sending a message about where it stood on labor issues.
But that decision came with a cost. Tesla had been leading the EV revolution for years. The company had built fast, stylish cars that ran on clean energy. Musk’s vision had pushed even the oldest carmakers to think differently. Yet, at the event meant to celebrate American innovation, the most innovative company was missing.
Harris later admitted she disagreed with the decision. In her book, she wrote that while she understood the administration’s desire to show support for organized labor, “excluding him as the top player in the field simply doesn’t make sense.” Her statement reflected what many people thought at the time — that politics had overshadowed common sense.
What happened next would show just how much one decision can change the course of things. Harris said she believed Musk took the snub personally. “So, I thought that was a mistake, and I don’t know Elon Musk, but I have to assume that that was something that hit him hard and had an impact on his perspective,” she said.
It’s not hard to imagine why Musk might have felt that way. For years, he had worked to make Tesla the symbol of American innovation. His company wasn’t just making cars; it was shaping the future of energy and technology. To be ignored by the government at an event celebrating that very future must have felt like a deep insult.
Harris even noted in her memoir that “Musk never forgave it.” She suggested that the exclusion may have played a role in his later political choices. In the years that followed, Musk became increasingly vocal about his political opinions, often criticizing the Biden administration on social media. By 2024, he had openly supported Donald Trump’s presidential campaign, reportedly contributing nearly $300 million to Republican efforts.
If Harris is right, that one moment — that one missed invitation — might have helped shape the political landscape years later. “Musk never forgave it,” she wrote, emphasizing just how lasting the effects of that decision were.
Looking back, it’s clear that the 2021 EV event wasn’t just a celebration of electric cars. It became a symbol of something much larger — how politics and pride can sometimes get in the way of progress. Tesla’s absence that day wasn’t just a missing name on a guest list; it was a missed opportunity to bring the country’s greatest innovators together for a common cause.
For Tesla, the moment might have served as a reminder that recognition doesn’t always come easily, even when you lead the way. Musk, known for his determination, likely took that moment as motivation to push even harder. In the years after the event, Tesla continued to expand globally, build new factories, and roll out more affordable EV models.
Still, the incident showed how personal feelings and political choices can mix in surprising ways. A single event, meant to highlight unity in the electric vehicle industry, ended up creating division instead. Musk’s later support for Trump — and his criticisms of the Biden administration — became a major talking point in American politics.
For Kamala Harris, acknowledging the mistake in her book seemed to be her way of setting the record straight. “I thought it was a big mistake,” she repeated, standing by her belief that Tesla and Musk should have been part of that historic event. Her words underline a simple truth: recognizing innovation should rise above politics.
Tesla’s story is one of persistence and innovation, but it’s also a story about respect. The company proved that electric cars could be fast, fun, and futuristic. Yet, even the most successful innovators need acknowledgment. That missing invitation was more than just an oversight — it was a message. And for someone like Elon Musk, who built his life on breaking boundaries, being left out might have felt like being told he didn’t belong.
Today, as Tesla continues to dominate the EV market and shape the world’s transition to clean energy, the 2021 event remains a moment worth remembering. It’s a reminder that leadership isn’t just about policy or politics — it’s also about recognizing the people and companies who make real change possible.
