Liberal Forum

The US State Department revealed plans to spend $400 million on "Armored Tesla" vehicles — further stoking fears over the gargantuan conflict of interest of having the carmaker's CEO Elon Musk in control of government spending.A December version of the agency's procurement forecast included the line item, spanning five years, and starting in 2025, as the New York Times reports. That's after president Donald Trump was elected, but before he was sworn in. While it's unclear which exact vehicle was meant, it's not a stretch to assume it's about the Cybertruck, which Musk once described as an "armored personnel carrier from the future."The news was met with sheer outrage. Despite Musk continuously accusing the government of "fraud" — evidence of he still hasn't managed to produce — users on social media pointed out the clear injustice of a government insider suddenly receiving a huge government contract."Pillaging Medicaid to pay for armored Teslas," CEO of The Onion Ben Collins wrote in a Bluesky post.Others took aim at Tesla's infamously shoddy workmanship."Ah yes, who wouldn't want to be stuck inside an armored vehicle that automatically locks when its battery ignites," another user wrote.Many argued that spending this much money on armored EVs flew in the face of Musk and his DOGE Boys' alleged efforts to reduce wasteful spending.