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In March, President Donald Trump invited Tesla CEO Elon Musk to the White House. Musk showed up with a couple of new Tesla EVs, including a Model S. Trump agreed to buy a Model S. But that was a couple of months ago. Now, amid a very public spat with Musk, Trump said he is “thinking about” selling off the like-new Model S. 

President Donald Trump might offload his recently purchased Tesla Model S after his spat with Elon Musk

Just two months ago, US President Donald Trump turned the White House lawn into a Tesla showroom. CEO Elon Musk walked with Trump as they looked at a red Tesla Model X and a Model S. The Model S did a sufficient job of catching Trump’s favor, because the second-term president bought one the very same day. 

However, Musk’s social media disapproval of Trump’s policy bill lit a fiery falling-out between the two men. The breakup picked up remarkable speed, with the president and the Tesla CEO trading criticism and resorting to name-calling online. Then, Trump suggested that his personal Tesla was on the chopping block. 

According to Forbes, the president announced that he was “thinking about” selling the Model S at 12:06 p.m. last Friday. Granted, “thinking about” doesn’t sound very committal. However, the New York Times reported that an anonymous source inside the Donald Trump White House claimed the red EV was already for sale.

Of course, Trump wasn’t doing much cruising in his red EV. Every current and former president is entitled to a US Secret Service detail, including a driver. So, with very few exceptions, you won’t be seeing a president driving anything. Not even a new car that they bought right there on the White House lawn.

Unfortunately for the 78-year-old Commander in Chief, his Model S isn’t worth as much as it was when he bought it at the White House lawn spectacle. On average, the Tesla Model S sloughs off 65.2% of its original value in the first five years of ownership. That figure firmly establishes the electric sedan as the third-worst culprit in the luxury segment for depreciation. It’s also almost 20% worse than the industry average of 45.6%.

Of course, there’s a buyer for just about anything. Should the president go through with the sale, a Donald Trump fan could conceivably pay bloated prices for the like-new EV. For instance, when he was merely a wealthy businessman, Trump purchased a red Mercedes-Benz SL R107. Now, typically these roadsters go for $15,000 to $20,000, depending on factors like engine option, year, condition, and mileage. However, the Trump-owned 560SL could net a tidy sum from the right collector.