‘The View’ admits to targeting Tesla roadside assistance program in response to Musk’s Twitter share purchase
ABC's liberal daytime gabfest "The View" admitted Tuesday it was peppering Tesla's roadside assistance program with criticism in response to its CEO Elon Musk becoming the largest shareholder for social media giant Twitter.
ABC's liberal daytime gabfest "The View" admitted Tuesday it was peppering Tesla with criticism in response to the electronic car company's CEO Elon Musk becoming the largest shareholder for social media giant Twitter.
The left-wing co-hosts dedicated an entire segment of the show to slamming Tesla's roadside assistance program, suggesting Musk could afford to invest more into it since he's "got a lot of money" and recently became Twitter's largest shareholder.
Tesla co-founder and CEO Elon Musk gestures while introducing the newly unveiled all-electric battery-powered Tesla Cybertruck at Tesla Design Center in Hawthorne, California on November 21, 2019. (Photo by Frederic J. BROWN / AFP) (Photo by Frederic J. BROWN / AFP)
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"I have a Tesla. Very wonderful car. I really like it. Really happy. I discovered yesterday that if something goes wrong with that car, you get a flat, there’s no way to get anybody," co-host Whoopi Goldberg began the segment.
Co-host Sunny Hostin echoed Goldberg's claim, stating that her husband also owned a Tesla.
Goldberg noted that Tesla vehicles didn't have a button the driver could push in case of emergency or need of other assistance, while Hostin added that they also didn't come with a spare tire.
"There’s no spare tire and there’s no way to get to anybody. They want you to email them for help," Goldberg said to laughter from the audience, leading co-host Joy Behar to ask what drivers were supposed to do if they had no phone signal.
"It seems like a crazy problem, but the truth of the matter is, had this happened to me on top of a road on some mountain, I would be very frightened," Goldberg said.
She then turned her attention to Musk and, appearing frustrated, attempted to tie his becoming the largest Twitter shareholder to what she suggested was the lack of sufficient funding in the roadside assistance program.
"You, Elon, have bought a piece of Twitter, well, I’m tweeting you from here. Take some of your money, please, and create some roadside assistance thing that doesn’t require me to look for a signal, because if there isn’t one, you’re really screwed," she claimed.
Whoopi Goldberg speaks during the WorldPride 2019 Opening Ceremony, a combined celebration marking the 50th anniversary of the 1969 Stonewall riots and WorldPride 2019 in New York, U.S., June 26, 2019. ( REUTERS/Lucas Jackson)
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Behar claimed there were "a lot of problems" when it came to Tesla vehicles, citing the potential for electric vehicle drivers being stranded because "there's no way to plug in a car in the middle of a snow storm."
Hostin stated that her husband recently experienced a flat tire with his Tesla and that there was a number for him to call for assistance. She claimed it took five hours for him to receive help.
Goldberg complained that the number Hostin was referring to prompted her to send "an email" for assistance and that she was "very afraid" of being stranded with no way to contact anyone.
"Tesla, you need to fix this. This is a dangerous situation," Goldberg added.
"If it’s a problem that can be fixed, I don't understand why they would not fix it because it is much better for the climate," Hostin said, before Goldberg jumped in claiming Teslas were unable to be towed because "you can't lift it up."
"I'm saying this because this is a fixable problem … you've got enough dough to put a Tesla group out there that can come and rescue women with children, older people," Goldberg said.
"They’re telling me in my ear the reason we’re discussing this is because Elon Musk put all his dollars and became a board member of Twitter. He got a lot of money," Hostin said.
This April 26, 2017, file photo shows the Twitter app icon on a mobile phone in Philadelphia. (AP Photo/Matt Rourke, File) ((AP Photo/Matt Rourke, File)
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According to a Monday filing by the SEC, Musk purchased a 9.2% stake in the left-leaning company. His purchase follows his sharp criticism of the company in March over a lack of commitment to free speech.
Tesla did not immediately respond to Fox News' request for comment.
Fox News' Anders Hagstrom contributed to this report.