Amidst Tesla’s plummeting stock prices and declining sales, President Donald Trump hosted a press conference on March 11 advertising the company. Accompanied by Tesla Chief Executive Officer Elon Musk, Trump announced that he had purchased a Tesla Model S car for the White House staff to share and use. With stock prices dropping 45% since Election Day, Musk’s company has lost all gains from November. Trump’s public endorsement has raised ethical concerns, with many arguing that the president should not use his platform to boost one of his highest-profile supporters.

Musk has been highly involved with Trump’s presidency, mostly with leading the new Department of Government Efficiency initiative. With his rash of worker firings, Musk has quickly lost much of the traction he gained previously with Trump backing him up. Along with Tesla and his new government position, Musk is juggling X and SpaceX. Trump’s public endorsement not only shows his commitment to America’s industry leaders, but also his willingness to blur political lines to support his allies.