A Biden administration plan to extend a $6 billion loan for an electric vehicle manufacturer to build an E.V. factory in Georgia sent MAGA world into a tailspin Tuesday.
The plan announced Monday is reportedly part of a push to lock in Democratic climate policies before President-elect Donald Trump returns to the White House. But not everybody was on board, with the move stoking speculation that the loan was a veiled political attack at one of Trump's main supporters – Tesla CEO Elon Musk.
“Biden is forking over $6.6B to EV-maker Rivian to build a Georgia plant they’ve already halted,” Vivek Ramaswamy wrote to his followers on X. “One ‘justification’ is the 7,500 jobs it creates, but that implies a cost of $880k/job which is insane. This smells more like a political shot across the bow at @elonmusk & @Tesla.”
That sentiment was echoed by numerous conservative social media users.
ALSO READ: Merrick Garland and his 'Justice' Department should never be forgiven
“It’s clearly an attack on Musk for his endorsement of Trump,” X user Paul A. Szypula wrote in a reply to Ramaswamy. Notably, Ramaswamy and Musk were both tapped by Trump to lead the so-called Department of Government Efficiency, or DOGE, to explore ways to slash government spending.
And at least one Republican member of Congress thinks the federal loan to Rivian is a waste of government money.
“Why not just cut each person a $880,000 check?!” Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-GA) posted on social media. “The absurdity of this is the exact type of insanity that we have to stop. I can tell you right now Georgians do not support Rivian and are sick and tired of seeing tax dollars handed over to this FAILING company, federal & state!”
Greene was recently named chair of the new subcommittee on Delivering on Government Efficiency, which is expected to work with Musk's DOGE.
