When most people think about Donald Trump and cars, they picture gold-plated Rolls-Royces or stretched limousines with his name emblazoned on the side. The former president has never been shy about his love for luxury and extravagance. So when news broke about one particular vehicle in his collection, people were genuinely shocked. It turns out that Trump once owned a Tesla Model S, the very symbol of electric vehicle technology and environmental consciousness. This surprising choice stands in stark contrast to everything we know about his public stance on electric cars and his preference for gas-guzzling luxury vehicles.
Trump actually bought a red Tesla Model S
Yes, you read that right. The man who has publicly criticized electric vehicles and questioned their practicality became the owner of one of the most famous electric cars on the market. Trump owned a Tesla Model S in red, which is interesting considering his well-documented preference for traditional luxury brands. The Model S isn’t just any electric car either. It’s considered the flagship vehicle that helped put Tesla on the map and changed how people view electric vehicles. With its sleek design and impressive performance capabilities, the Model S has become a status symbol in its own right, appealing to tech enthusiasts and environmentally conscious drivers alike.
What makes this ownership even more unexpected is the timing and context. Trump has never been known as someone who embraces new technology quickly, especially when it comes to vehicles. His garage has historically featured classic American muscle cars and European luxury sedans. The Tesla represents a complete departure from his usual automotive tastes. The red color choice does align with his bold personality, but everything else about this purchase seemed out of character. It raised questions about whether this was a genuine interest in electric vehicle technology or perhaps a gift that ended up in his collection without much thought.
He can’t even drive it himself
Here’s where things get even more interesting. Despite owning this impressive piece of automotive technology, Trump can’t actually drive the Tesla himself. This isn’t because of any technical issue with the car or a personal choice. Former presidents and sitting presidents are restricted from driving on public roads due to Secret Service security protocols. Once someone becomes president, they essentially give up the privilege of getting behind the wheel for the foreseeable future. This means that Trump’s Tesla Model S sits as more of a collector’s item than a functional vehicle he can enjoy. The irony isn’t lost on anyone that he owns a car celebrated for its driving experience without being able to experience it firsthand.
The restriction on driving applies to all former presidents, not just Trump. It’s a security measure designed to protect them from potential threats and accidents. Secret Service agents handle all driving duties, whether it’s in armored SUVs or other approved vehicles. So while Trump can sit in the passenger seat of his Tesla and be driven around private property, he won’t be cruising down the highway with the autopilot engaged anytime soon. This makes the purchase seem even more unusual. Why buy a car known for its exceptional driving dynamics if you’ll never get to drive it? The answer might have less to do with practicality and more to do with collecting or making a statement.
His public comments about electric cars don’t match up
The contradiction between owning a Tesla and Trump’s public statements about electric vehicles is hard to ignore. He has been vocal about his skepticism regarding electric cars, often questioning their range, practicality, and the infrastructure needed to support them. During his presidency and in subsequent appearances, he’s made comments suggesting that electric vehicles aren’t powerful enough or that they require too much charging time. These criticisms stand in direct opposition to the experience offered by the Tesla Model S, which is known for impressive acceleration and a robust charging network. The disconnect between his words and his ownership has left many people scratching their heads.
This isn’t the first time there’s been a gap between what Trump says publicly and what he does privately. Politicians and public figures often face scrutiny when their actions don’t align with their stated positions. In this case, owning a Tesla while criticizing electric vehicles seems particularly contradictory. Some have suggested that the car might have been a gift or that he acquired it before forming his current opinions on electric vehicles. Others think it might have been purchased as an investment or curiosity rather than as a daily driver. Regardless of the reason, the optics are confusing for anyone trying to understand his actual stance on electric vehicle technology and its role in American transportation.
The Tesla Model S is everything he usually criticizes
When you look at what the Tesla Model S represents, it becomes even more surprising that Trump would own one. The car is often associated with Silicon Valley, progressive environmental policies, and the push toward renewable energy. These aren’t exactly topics that align with Trump’s traditional policy positions or public persona. The Model S has become an icon for people who want to reduce their carbon footprint while still enjoying a luxury vehicle. It’s favored by tech executives, environmentally conscious celebrities, and early adopters of new technology. Trump doesn’t fit neatly into any of these categories based on his public image and statements over the years.
Additionally, Tesla’s founder Elon Musk represents a new generation of American entrepreneurship that differs from the real estate and traditional business world where Trump made his name. While both men are known for their bold personalities and unconventional approaches, they come from different eras and industries. Musk has championed electric vehicles as the future of transportation and has built an entire company around this vision. Trump, on the other hand, has often expressed nostalgia for American manufacturing’s past, including the muscle cars and industrial vehicles that defined previous generations. The Model S sits at the intersection of luxury and technology, which might explain part of its appeal, but it still seems like an odd choice given everything else.
This purchase shows his complicated relationship with status symbols
Trump’s ownership of a Tesla reveals something interesting about how he views status and luxury. Throughout his career, he’s been drawn to items and properties that signal wealth and success. Gold fixtures, marble interiors, and his name in large letters have been his calling cards. The Tesla Model S, while expensive, represents a different kind of status. It’s about being on the cutting edge of technology rather than displaying traditional wealth. In the circles where Teslas are popular, they signal environmental awareness and tech savviness rather than pure opulence. This suggests that Trump might be more interested in owning what’s considered prestigious at any given moment, regardless of whether it aligns with his stated values.
The car collection of any wealthy person often tells a story about their tastes and priorities. For Trump, owning both traditional luxury vehicles and a Tesla shows someone who wants to have every base covered. He doesn’t want to be left out of any trend or miss owning something that others consider valuable or important. This approach to collecting isn’t unusual among the very wealthy, who often acquire items more for their status or investment potential than for personal use. The Tesla might simply be another piece in a larger collection, valued more for what it represents in the automotive world than for any practical purpose or alignment with personal beliefs about transportation and energy.
His car buying style would be quite the spectacle
Imagine what it would be like to watch Trump shop for a car. Based on his well-known personality and approach to business deals, it would likely be unlike any typical car buying experience. Watching him buy a car would feel less like a simple purchase and more like a full production. He’s known for his negotiating style, which involves bold claims, strong opinions, and an unwavering confidence in his position. A car dealership would become a stage for demonstrating his deal-making abilities, with every detail of the transaction becoming a point of negotiation. The salesperson would likely have their hands full trying to close the deal while Trump questioned every aspect of the vehicle and the terms being offered.
The show wouldn’t just be about getting the best price. It would be about the confidence and making sure everyone knows who’s in control of the situation. Trump has built his entire brand around being the person who comes out on top in every transaction. Even something as straightforward as buying a car would become an opportunity to demonstrate this skill. He’d likely walk around the vehicle pointing out every minor flaw, reference other cars he’s owned or looked at, and make it clear that he has plenty of other options. The entire experience would be designed to put him in the strongest negotiating position possible, regardless of whether he actually planned to walk away or was committed to the purchase from the start.
The negotiation would overshadow the actual vehicle
For most people, buying a car is about finding the right vehicle that meets their needs and fits their budget. The focus stays on the car itself, its features, and whether it’s worth the asking price. With Trump, the dynamic would shift entirely. His negotiation skills would take center stage, turning the transaction into a performance. The specific make and model would become secondary to the deal itself. Every conversation would be an opportunity to showcase his ability to negotiate terms, question assumptions, and come out ahead. Whether he was buying a used sedan or a luxury sports car, the process would be similar because it’s not really about the car for someone with his personality and approach to business.
This focus on the deal rather than the product explains a lot about how someone like Trump ends up with such a varied collection of vehicles. When the act of acquiring something is more interesting than the thing itself, you end up making purchases that might not make sense from the outside. The Tesla Model S fits this pattern perfectly. It’s a prestigious, expensive vehicle that was likely available at the right time and under the right circumstances. Whether it aligned with his personal beliefs about electric vehicles or his typical automotive preferences didn’t matter as much as the opportunity to add another notable vehicle to his collection. The story of acquiring it became part of the value proposition, not just the car’s features or performance capabilities.
Other car owners found the connection amusing
When news spread that Trump owned a Tesla Model S, current Tesla owners had mixed reactions. Some found it amusing that they now shared something in common with the former president, despite potentially having very different political views and values. The Tesla community has traditionally leaned toward progressive politics and environmental consciousness, making Trump an unlikely fellow owner. Social media lit up with comments from people who suddenly felt differently about their own vehicles. Some joked about the situation while others expressed genuine surprise. The connection between Trump and Tesla owners highlighted how a single product can attract people from completely different backgrounds and belief systems, united only by their choice of vehicle.
This unexpected overlap also raised questions about what car ownership really signifies. People like to think that their vehicle choices reflect their values and identity. When someone who seems to represent opposite values owns the same car, it creates a bit of cognitive dissonance. Tesla owners who saw their cars as statements about the environment and the future suddenly had to reconcile that Trump made a similar purchase. Of course, cars are ultimately just machines that different people can own for different reasons. One person might buy a Tesla for environmental reasons while another might be attracted to its performance or status. The Trump ownership story serves as a reminder that consumer choices are more complicated than they appear on the surface.
The car sits unused in his collection
The most ironic aspect of Trump’s Tesla ownership might be that the car likely sits unused most of the time. Given that he can’t drive it himself and probably has little interest in being chauffeured around in an electric vehicle, the Model S has become more of a curiosity than a functional part of his transportation options. It joins whatever other vehicles he owns in storage, representing a moment in time when he decided to acquire one of the most talked-about cars in America. For a vehicle designed to be driven and enjoyed, sitting idle seems like a waste of its potential. The Model S offers instant acceleration, smooth handling, and advanced technology features that only matter if someone actually uses them regularly.
This fate isn’t unique to Trump’s Tesla. Many wealthy collectors own vehicles they rarely or never drive, treating them as investments or trophies rather than transportation. The difference is that most collectors focus on classic cars or limited editions that appreciate in value over time. A Tesla Model S, while expensive, is a modern production vehicle that depreciates like most cars. It doesn’t have the same collector appeal as a vintage Ferrari or a rare Porsche. This makes the purchase even more puzzling from a practical standpoint. Unless Trump had specific plans for the vehicle or received it as a gift, it’s hard to understand why he would add it to his collection. The mystery of how and why he came to own this particular car remains one of the more amusing footnotes in his long history of surprising purchases and possessions.
Trump’s ownership of a Tesla Model S remains one of those unexpected facts that doesn’t quite fit with everything else we know about him. It shows that even the most public figures can surprise us with their choices. Whether he bought it himself, received it as a gift, or acquired it through some other means, the red Tesla sitting in his collection represents a fascinating contradiction. Sometimes the things people own tell complicated stories that don’t have simple explanations, and this is certainly one of those cases.
