On Tuesday, Donald Trump transformed the White House lawn into a showroom for Tesla as he sought to support his ally’s brand.
However, a remark from the president has left many puzzled — can he even drive the car he ended up purchasing?
Here’s a breakdown of the events.
The Tesla Promotion
Accompanied by Elon Musk and a flock of reporters, Mr. Trump explored new car options on the White House driveway.
The president came prepared with documents that included price listings for each vehicle model and a promotional script for the company’s offerings.
The president showed a handwritten note detailing model prices while inspecting the cars. (Reuters: Kevin Lamarque)
Tesla has faced challenges in the stock market recently, seeing a decline of 45% since its peak valuation of $1.5 trillion last December.
Mr. Trump informed the reporters that he wished to “make a statement” by purchasing a vehicle from Tesla because Mr. Musk had been “treated unfairly.”
“I’m going to buy, and I’m going to buy because, number one, it’s a great product, as good as it gets, and number two, because this man has devoted his energy and his life to doing this.
“I think he’s treated very unfairly by a very small group of people, and I just want people to know that you can’t be penalised for being a patriot, and he’s a great patriot.”
On Truth Social, Mr. Trump previously alleged that “Radical Left Lunatics” were “illegally boycotting” the electric car manufacturer.
He dismissed concerns that buying a new vehicle from the wealthiest individual would not resonate well with supporters feeling the impact of price increases due to tariffs on trading partners.
“Well, I think they’re going to do great,” he replied to a journalist.
“I think we’re, uh, our country had to do this, we had to go and do this; they’ve taken away, other countries have taken away our business, they’ve taken away our jobs.”
The First Amendment of the US Constitution safeguards the right of Americans to protest against private enterprises.
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The president ultimately selected a red Model S, which he stated he would purchase with a check.
“Everything’s computer,” he remarked while examining the dashboard. “That’s beautiful, wow.”
Why Can’t Donald Trump Drive?
If you listened closely to Mr. Trump’s statements to the media, you might have caught a seemingly contradictory remark: he plans to buy a car but cannot drive it.
“Now here’s the bad news: I’m not allowed to drive because, uh … I haven’t driven in a long time, and I love to drive cars.
“But I’m going to have it at the White House, and I’m going to let my staff use it; I’m going to let people at the place use it, and they’re all excited about that. I’m not allowed to use it, can you believe it?
“One of my great things in life is I can, you know, I love to drive cars, but I’m not allowed to.”
This restriction isn’t due to a lack of skill — it’s actually a measure enforced by the Secret Service security detail.
The Secret Service is responsible for protecting presidents, even post-term. (Reuters: Nathan Howard)
What are the Driving Regulations for Presidents?
US presidents, former presidents, and vice-presidents are prohibited from operating vehicles on public roads.
Instead, they are driven by their security teams, who are trained in defensive and evasive driving techniques.
This guideline isn’t codified law, but it is stringently observed, and generally, presidents comply.
It does not apply when they are on private property, so golf carts and ranches are common places for car-enthusiast presidents to take the wheel.
Have Presidents Driven in the Past?
It appears that several former presidents have a fondness for cars, even if they are restricted to driving on private lands.
During the season three premiere of Jay Leno’s Garage in 2017, George W. Bush shared that he hadn’t driven on a public road in over twenty years when he took a Ford pickup truck for a spin around his family’s Texas ranch.
Joe Biden test drove a Hummer EV during a tour at a General Motors assembly plant while he was president in 2021. (Reuters: Jonathan Ernst)
Joe Biden also appeared on Jay Leno’s Garage, although he was still vice president during the Obama administration.
He mentioned the strict Secret Service protocols but noted they made an exception for the filming, showing him driving off with a burnout while Leno sat beside him.
During the same administration, former president Barack Obama achieved a “childhood dream” by driving a 1963 Corvette in an episode of Jerry Seinfeld’s Comedians in Cars Getting Coffee.
However, they were limited to the White House grounds, with a guard informing Mr. Obama that he couldn’t open the gates for their departure.
Regarding Mr. Trump, his passion for automobiles has been documented multiple times over the years.
A notorious video shared on social media by his wife, Melania Trump, shows Mr. Trump jamming to Taylor Swift while driving down a highway in 2014.
He is known to have owned a variety of luxury vehicles throughout the years, including a Rolls-Royce Phantom and Silver Cloud.
More recently, he was seen briefly operating a garbage truck on an airport tarmac during his presidential campaign last year.
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