President Donald Trump has taken another jab at Elon Musk by nominating Jonathan Morrison—an outspoken Tesla critic—to head the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA). The move is widely seen as part of Trump’s growing campaign of political and personal retaliation against the billionaire CEO.
Morrison, who served as NHTSA’s chief counsel during Trump’s first term, is no stranger to Tesla. In 2018, he publicly challenged the company’s safety claims about its Model 3, accusing Tesla of misleading the public after the automaker declared the car had the “lowest probability of injury” of any vehicle tested by the agency.
Morrison pushed back, warning that such statements could be interpreted as “a misunderstanding of safety data, an intention to mislead the public, or both.” He accused Tesla of ignoring federal guidelines and using data in a way that could confuse consumers and give the company an unfair edge in the market.
Tesla’s Rocky History With Safety Regulators
Tesla has a pattern of inflating safety achievements. In 2013, it falsely claimed its Model S earned a “5.4-star” rating—despite NHTSA’s maximum being five stars. The 2018 controversy revolved around Tesla comparing its smaller sedan to much larger vehicles, prompting Morrison to call out the flawed logic. He argued that test results from lighter vehicles shouldn’t be used to imply superiority in crashes involving heavier SUVs or trucks.
Tesla responded through its legal counsel, claiming its statements were “fair and objective.” Still, the original blog post was later scrubbed from Tesla’s website, though tweets boasting the same claims remain online.
Morrison also played a role in a 2019 investigation of a Model 3 crash in San Ramon, California, signing a subpoena for Tesla’s internal data.
Timing Raises Eyebrows as Musk-Trump Feud Grows
The nomination lands as Trump and Musk’s once-warm relationship continues to sour. Musk’s departure from the administration and his recent attacks on Trump via X (formerly Twitter) have turned their fallout into a public spectacle. Some political observers have described it as a high-profile “lovers’ spat,” as both men trade jabs and power plays.
Tesla is preparing to launch its much-hyped robotaxi service in Austin, and Morrison’s potential oversight could be pivotal. If confirmed, he would be in a key position to scrutinize Tesla’s safety practices—just as Trump ramps up pressure on Musk.
Morrison’s Senate confirmation hearing is scheduled for next week. Lawmakers are expected to question him on his past dealings with Tesla, and whether his appointment is part of a broader strategy to tighten the screws on the electric vehicle giant as Trump’s grudge deepens.
