Trump’s Pick Becomes First Permanent US Auto Safety Chief In 3 Years, With Tesla Probes Topping His Priority List

Tesla is at the center of several federal safety investigations as the U.S. Senate voted 51–47 on Thursday to confirm Jonathan Morrison as head of the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), ending a three-year vacancy.

Morrison will oversee the probes, including a new investigation into about 174,000 Model Y cars from 2021 after reports that electronic door handles could fail and trap children, according to a Reuters report.

The latest inquiry adds to several active reviews of the company. Regulators are examining 2.4 million Teslas with full self-driving features after four crashes, including a fatal accident in 2023. 

They are also investigating 2.6 million vehicles linked to accidents involving the remote-move function, along with delays in the company’s crash reporting.

Morrison, a former Apple lawyer and NHTSA chief counsel under Donald Trump’s first term as president, said after his confirmation that the agency “cannot sit back and wait for problems to arise with such developing technologies, but must demonstrate strong leadership.” 

He was once again backed by Trump and confirmed alongside 47 other nominees, including officials overseeing highways and pipelines.

Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy has pledged to speed the rollout of autonomous vehicles, while NHTSA has said it will revise rules that assume a human driver is always in control. In August, the agency certified Amazon’s Zoox self-driving unit for demonstrations and closed a compliance probe.

Automakers, lawmakers and safety groups have criticized NHTSA for moving too slowly on regulation. The Alliance for Automotive Innovation, representing major carmakers, said the industry “wants — and needs — a strong NHTSA” to help deliver safer, smarter vehicles.

On Stocktwits, retail sentiment for Tesla was ‘extremely bullish’ amid ‘high’ message volume.

Tesla’s stock has risen 3.2% so far in 2025.

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