Yes, there has absolutely been some crazy situations in the past.

I’D be fine with that. Even with all the offshored parts and supply chain, the auto industry is still a huge part of the American economy, with a lot of related jobs. I want it to continue doing that

However excessive protectionism isn’t a viable strategy when there’s also a renewed commitment to obsolete technology and cancelling anything that would have encouraged change. I suppose this favors established industry in the short term but it really seems like forcing them to buy a shovel to dig their own graves.

The problem is if this is a payoff to musk, helping Tesla succeed at everyone else’s expense. Favoritism toward one specific person or company is never the right choice

They are the default, that's why public services need transparency.
That's not unique for USA, USA is just bad at doing these things right.