As tensions continue to rise between President Donald Trump and Elon Musk, Trump has nominated a known Tesla Inc. TSLA critic to lead the U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA).
What Happened: Jonathan Morrison, Trump’s nominee to lead the NHTSA, has been a critic of the EV giant in the past during his time at the regulator, Electrek reported on Thursday.
The report says that Morrison, who was an attorney for the agency during Trump’s first term, filed a cease-and-desist letter to Tesla following the NHTSA awarding the Tesla Model 3 a 5-star crash test rating, which Tesla said meant the Model 3 achieved the lowest probability of injury among all vehicles tested by the regulator.
Morrison is expected to appear before the Senate in the coming weeks for his confirmation hearing and could step into the role after his confirmation passes the Senate.
Why It Matters: The move comes as tensions between Trump and Musk over the Big, Beautiful Bill have escalated, with Musk announcing his decision to found a political party, which Trump has dubbed a “train wreck.“
Tesla has also been under the scrutiny of the NHTSA, with the company’s FSD technology recently reviewed by the agency for its efficiency in different weather conditions before the Robotaxi launch.
The agency was also reviewing Tesla’s Robotaxi for possible traffic violations during the launch event in Austin, the NHTSA said.
Musk’s actions have also put pressure on Tesla and the company has been under fire from experts like Ross Gerber, who believes Musk’s “America Party” is the “worst news” for Tesla.
Elsewhere, over 27 major investors wrote a letter to the EV giant’s board to set up the company’s annual shareholder meeting, which Tesla has scheduled for November 6th this year, according to an SEC filing.
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