Imagine a White House event championing electric vehicles, yet the biggest name in the game is left off the guest list. That’s exactly what happened in 2021 when the Biden administration snubbed Tesla’s Elon Musk, a decision now called out as a blunder by none other than former Vice President Kamala Harris.
This story boils down to a 2021 White House event where Musk was excluded, a move Harris later criticized as shortsighted, suggesting it may have pushed the tech mogul away from supporting the administration’s goals, as Fox News reports.
Let’s rewind to August 2021, when President Joe Biden rolled out the red carpet for a major electric vehicle summit at the White House. Executives from General Motors, Ford, and Stellantis were there, shaking hands and smiling for the cameras. But Elon Musk, head of Tesla—the leading EV manufacturer in the nation—was nowhere to be seen.
The exclusion wasn’t accidental; it screamed political messaging. Many saw it as a deliberate nod to the United Auto Workers (UAW), since Tesla’s workforce isn’t unionized, unlike the invited automakers. The Biden team seemed to prioritize labor loyalties over recognizing raw innovation.
Then-White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki didn’t shy away from the optics, noting the event spotlighted “the three largest employers of the United Auto Workers.” Her dodge when asked if this was a jab at Tesla’s non-union status—“I'll let you draw your own conclusion”—was as transparent as a freshly washed windshield. It’s hard not to see this as a calculated slight against a company that’s reshaped the industry.
The administration doubled down, framing the invited companies as critical allies in pushing union jobs. Yet, after the snub became public, some Biden aides reportedly offered an apology to Tesla, though tensions lingered like exhaust fumes. Clearly, a quick “sorry” couldn’t recharge the relationship.
Fast forward to a recent interview at the Fortune Most Powerful Women Summit in Washington, D.C., on October 14, 2025, where Kamala Harris didn’t hold back. She labeled the decision to exclude Musk a “big mistake,” a sentiment she also penned in her memoir, “107 Days.” Harris argued that sidelining the top player in the EV field was illogical, no matter the union politics at play.
“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,” Harris told Fortune Editor-in-Chief Alyson Shontell. Her point cuts deep—why alienate a pioneer over ideological checkboxes?
Harris went further, noting in her memoir that Biden’s choice sent a clear signal about Musk’s anti-union reputation. Yet, she questioned the wisdom of such exclusion, writing that it “simply doesn’t make sense” to ignore the industry leader. Her critique suggests a rare moment of clarity against the progressive tendency to prioritize politics over progress.
Musk, unsurprisingly, didn’t take the snub lying down. He fired off public criticism, calling out the Biden administration on social media with a pointed, “Yeah, seems odd that Tesla wasn’t invited.” That understated jab carried the weight of a man who knew his company’s contributions deserved better.
The Tesla CEO didn’t stop there, later accusing the administration of being “controlled by unions” and far from friendly. It’s no shock that such a public dismissal would sting, especially for someone whose innovations have arguably done more for green tech than any government mandate.
Harris, reflecting on the fallout, speculated on the personal toll this took. “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. Her empathy here is notable, acknowledging that even titans of industry aren’t immune to feeling slighted.
Biden’s aides reportedly tried to mend fences with Musk after the fact, but the damage was done. Harris’s memoir captures the lingering resentment with a succinct line: “Musk never forgave it.” That’s a stark reminder of how one misstep can burn bridges with key innovators.
What’s the takeaway from this debacle? Harris’s call for presidents to “put aside political loyalties” when recognizing technological breakthroughs is a refreshing push against the partisan gamesmanship that often clouds policy. It’s a shame the administration didn’t see that excluding Musk wasn’t just a snub—it was a missed chance to unite around a shared goal of innovation.
Instead, the focus on union optics over merit left a bitter taste, potentially alienating a major player in the fight for sustainable energy. If Harris’s critique teaches anything, it’s that rewarding achievement, not ideology, should drive these decisions. Otherwise, the only thing being powered is division.
