{beacon} Technology Technology   The Big Story  Conservatives embrace Tesla as liberals ditch Elon Musk Conservatives are rallying around Tesla while l iberals ditch or distance themselves from Elon Musk’s electric vehicles (EVs) in a surprising about-face for a company whose fate is deeply tied to the politics of sustainability and climate issues.  © AP Photo/George Walker IV Republicans, who have long eschewed EVs and the movement away from fossil fuels, have come to Tesla’s defense as it suffers financially and faces attacks tied to Musk’s work with the Trump administration.    Meanwhile, U.S. liberals and European buyers are taking out their frustrations over Musk and President Trump’s policies by getting rid of their Teslas and boycotting the company.   In a few extreme cases, Tesla vehicles have been vandalized, and dealerships have been attacked.    “It’s a little bit of a twilight zone for Tesla,” said Wedbush Securities analyst Dan Ives.    Generally, more Democrats than Republicans buy EVs. A 2023 Gallup survey found that 6 percent of Democrats, 4 percent of independents and 1 percent of Republicans owned electric cars.    And just 1 percent of Republicans said they would seriously consider buying an EV in the future, compared to 12 percent of independents and 22 percent of Democrats.    While on the campaign trail, EVs became something of a culture war issue for Trump and Republicans, as the president decried Biden’s pro-EV policies as an attack on consumer choice.   His tone softened somewhat as he and Musk grew closer, but even as he has publicly embraced Tesla, Trump has still broadly opposed his predecessor’s policies.     Amid Tesla’s woes, Trump publicly purchased a Tesla earlier this month, praising the cars from the perch of the White House.    His supporters have also made public displays of affection toward Musk’s electric cars.     Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick encouraged Americans to buy Tesla stock on March 19, touting Musk as “probably the best entrepreneur, the best technologist, the best leader of any set of companies in America working for America.”      “I think, if you want to learn something on this show tonight: Buy Tesla,” Lutnick said. “It’s unbelievable that this guy’s stock is this cheap. It’ll never be this cheap again.”      Fox News host and Trump ally Sean Hannity revealed earlier this month that he had purchased a Tesla while promoting a sweepstakes to win one of Musk’s cars on his website.    “It’s like the greatest car ever invented. It really is, and I’m not just saying that,” Hannity said during an interview with Musk last week.    Rep. Virginia Foxx (R-N.C.) also posed with a Tesla in a picture posted on social media, writing, “Pretty snazzy car,” and tagging Musk.    Despite the GOP show of support, Tesla’s brand has suffered in recent weeks from its close association with Musk.   The tech billionaire has taken on a prominent and controversial role in the administration leading the Department of Government Efficiency’s (DOGE) efforts to slash government spending and the federal workforce.    Read more in a full report at TheHill.com.   Welcome to The Hill’s Technology newsletter, we're Miranda Nazzaro and Julia Shapero — tracking the latest moves from Capitol Hill to Silicon Valley.   Did someone forward you this newsletter? Subscribe here.   Essential Reads  How policy will be impacting the tech sector now and in the future:   Canada bars Tesla from rebate program over Trump tariffs Canada has barred electric vehicle (EV) giant Tesla from all of its rebate programs and banned the Texas-based automotive company from future electric vehicle rebate programs over President Trump’s tariff back-and-forth with Ottawa.  Canada’s transport minister, Chrystia Freeland, said in a Tuesday statement to Reuters that Tesla will not be eligible for the rebate program as long as  the “illegitimate …  Full Story   White House taps Musk to investigate Signal chat mishap The White House has asked Elon Musk and his team at the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) to help investigate how a journalist was included on a Signal chat with national security officials. “The National Security Council, the White House Counsel’s Office, and also yes, Elon Musk’s team,” press secretary Karoline Leavitt told reporters when asked who was leading an investigation into the Signal mishap. …  Full Story   Waltz: ‘We made a mistake. We’re moving forward’ National security adviser Mike Waltz acknowledged Tuesday evening that messages discussing an attack on Houthi rebels in Yemen that were reportedly leaked in a Signal chat including The Atlantic’s editor in chief were “a mistake.” “We made a mistake, we’re moving forward, and we’re going to continue to knock it out of the park for this president,” Waltz told Fox News’s Laura Ingraham on her show Tuesday. “Look …  Full Story   Trump family crypto firm launches stablecoin World Liberty Financial, a cryptocurrency venture created by President Trump and his sons, announced plans Tuesday to launch a stablecoin.   The stablecoin, USD1, will be pegged to the U.S. dollar. Stablecoins are cryptocurrencies tied to assets, like fiat currency, to maintain a more stable price.   “Meet USD1 — the stablecoin your portfolio’s been waiting for,” World Liberty Financial wrote on the social …  Full Story   The Refresh  News we've flagged from the intersection of tech and other topics: Trump administration adds 80 companies and organizations to export blacklist amid push to keep computing tech out of China (The Verge) House Republicans signal strong commitment to kids online safety (Bloomberg Government)    Crypto Corner  Trump family businesses expand crypto footprint © AP Photo/Evan Vucci Welcome to Crypto Corner, a daily feature focused on digital currency and its outlook in Washington.   Companies with ties to President Trump and his family are expanding their footprint in the crypto industry.   World Liberty Financial, a crypto venture launched by Trump and his sons, announced plans for a dollar-backed stablecoin Tuesday.   “Meet USD1 — the stablecoin your portfolio’s been waiting for,” the company wrote on X. “Built for institutions and retail alike. Backed by dollars. Custodied by BitGo. No games. No gimmicks. Just real stability.”    And Trump Media and Technology Group, Truth Social's parent company, unveiled a new partnership with Crypto.com on Monday to launch a series of exchange traded funds (ETFs).   The ETFs are set to compromise digitals assets and securities “with a Made in America focus spanning diverse industries such as energy,” according to a press release.    The new crypto-related ventures come as Trump has emerged as a key proponent of the industry during his second term in office, hosting crypto leaders at the White House and directing the creation of a bictoin strategic reserve and digital asset stockpile.   In Other News  Branch out with other reads on The Hill: Signal defends app security amid group chat controversy The president of Signal defended the security of the encrypted messaging app on Tuesday after a bombshell report revealed top Trump administration officials used the app to discuss airstrike plans hours before they took place. In a lengthy post on the social platform X on Tuesday night, Signal President Meredith Whittaker called the app the “gold standard in private comms” without directly mentioning the ongoing … Full Story   What Others are Reading  Two key stories on The Hill right now: Appeals court won’t lift Boasberg’s order blocking Alien Enemies Act A federal appeals court in a 2-1 decision Wednesday refused to lift U.S. District Judge James Boasberg’s order blocking the Trump administration from … Read more Hegseth moves to center of Signal chat firestorm Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth has moved to the center of the storm over a Signal group chat scandal, seeking to beat back questions about whether … Read more     You're all caught up. See you tomorrow!  Close Thank you for signing up! Subscribe to more newsletters here The latest in politics and policy. Direct to your inbox. Sign up for the Technology newsletter Subscribe ...read more read less