President Donald Trump posed for photos next to a line of Tesla vehicles in front of the White House Tuesday after saying earlier on social media he would buy one as a "show of confidence and support for Elon Musk."

Protesters gathered outside Encinitas' Tesla dealership "to bring attention to the danger that the Trump/Musk agenda poses," members said.

As the Tesla backlash grows, the president held an infomercial at the White House to shore up the fortunes of his biggest supporter. Earlier this week, Donald Trump staged what historians believe to be a presidential first: a stilted,