Toyota Chairman Akio Toyoda had some explaining to do when he showed up to a game in Japan on Sunday wearing a “Make America Great Again” hat and a red T-shirt emblazoned with photos of President Donald Trump and Vice President J.D. Vance. The image quickly became a sensation, especially considering Trump’s tariffs have cost Toyota billions of dollars. His appearance came days after Toyota announced it would invest an additional $912 million in U.S. manufacturing.
Akio Toyoda, the grandson of Toyota founder Kiichiro Toyoda, wore the controversial garment during the finals of Japan’s ENOS Super Taikyu series. Toyota held a NASCAR demonstration at its home track, attended by U.S. Ambassador to Japan George Glass, and sent six NASCAR cars specifically for the event. Glass and Akio Toyoda drove the Ford F-150 to lead the racing car on the track, fully demonstrating the American style.
Toyota said in a statement to the Observer that “the photo opportunity was intended to highlight our company’s support of efforts to strengthen American industry and create new opportunities for American vehicles in Japan,” without mentioning Toyoda’s choice to wear MAGA-themed clothing.
Toyota has invested about $60 billion in the United States over the past 70 years and currently operates 11 manufacturing plants in multiple states, many of which are pro-Trump strongholds, including Kentucky, Mississippi, Missouri, Texas, Tennessee, West Virginia and Alabama. Yesterday (November 18), the company announced a further $912 million investment in its U.S. operations, which will bring new jobs in Tennessee, Missouri, Kentucky and West Virginia.
Most automakers have buckled under this administration as tariffs continue to squeeze margins at major auto companies. In an earnings report released earlier this month, Toyota detailed its losses: Operating income for the half-year ended in September fell $3.3 billion year-on-year, mainly due to tariffs. In September, the Trump administration lowered import tariffs on Japanese cars from 27.5% to 15% — still a heavy burden.
Toyoda apparently had tariffs in mind at the Japan event, with many observers interpreting his attire as an attempt to curry favor with the president, Road & Track reported. Toyoda told reporters, “I’m not here to argue whether tariffs are good or bad. Every country’s leaders want to protect their auto industry. We are exploring ways to make tariffs a winner for everyone. The people we want to be the winners most are our customers.”
Many auto industry CEOs are known to try to stay in the good graces of the erratic Trump administration through visible endorsements and political donations. Ahead of Trump’s second term, Toyota donated $1 million to his inauguration. According to OpenSecrets.org, the company donated more money to Republican states and politicians between 2023 and 2024 than to Democrats.
While Toyoda’s choice of clothing is striking for the chairman of a global auto giant, one thing is clear: The images are a stark reminder of how deeply intertwined politics is with global automaking, and how much is at stake for these major companies.
