Trump's driving abilities under scanner after he says he isn't 'allowed to drive' Tesla he just bought

WASHINGTON, DC: Donald Trump has always been a treasure trove of unexpected claims - from his controversial takes on Taylor Swift to some moments caught on camera that the internet will never forget.

This time, he's left many scratching their heads by claiming that he simply isn't "allowed" to drive.

It all went down on Tuesday, March 11, when Trump — flanked by none other than Elon Musk and his uniquely named son, X — addressed the press outside the White House. The president wasn’t just there to chat - he had some strong words about what he saw as an unfair attack on Musk.

Specifically, Trump was outraged over the backlash Musk was facing for his controversial Department of Government Efficiency (or DOGE). The department has been grabbing headlines - mostly by firing huge swaths of government employees and tracking federal spending to cut down on waste and fraud. Naturally, the move has ruffled feathers.

But that wasn’t all. Trump also lamented that Tesla sales were taking a hit globally because of the controversy. And so his solution was to publicly back the brand in the most Trumpian way possible - by announcing he was buying a Tesla himself.

Trump bought a Tesla, but won’t be driving it

Trump dropped a head-scratching revelation in the middle of his rant.

"I'm going to buy [a Tesla]," he told reporters, "Now, here's the bad news: I'm not allowed to drive because I haven't driven a car 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 in the place use it, and they all are excited about that. I'm not allowed to use it, can you believe it?"

That does beg the question - why exactly is Trump not allowed to drive?

Surprisingly, Trump wasn’t making this one up. It’s true - US presidents aren’t allowed to hit the open road. But not because of a lack of driving skills or an expired license.

The real reason dates all the way back to the Former Presidents Act of 1958, which became even more crucial after the assassination of President John F Kennedy in 1963, according to Newsweek.

One of the lesser-known rules is no more joyrides for the commander-in-chief. As a security measure, past presidents are prohibited from driving on public roads. So Trump isn’t alone in this. You won't see Bill Clinton, George W Bush, or Barack Obama out there cruising in their favorite sports cars either.

Trump is a well-known car enthusiast with a collection worth millions. Yet, even though he’s about to own a shiny new Tesla, he won’t be the one behind the wheel. Instead, his White House staffers will get to take it for a spin.

Could Trump drive if he wanted to?

Now, this is where things get murky. While we know he legally can’t drive on public roads, does Trump even have a valid driver’s license?

Here’s what we do know: A copy of Trump’s New York driver’s license — obtained by Politico back in 2016 — showed that it was set to expire on June 14, 2020, his 74th birthday. So unless he renewed it, his ability to drive legally is questionable at best.

That being said, we do have proof that Trump has driven before. In December 2014, before starting his political career, Melania Trump posted a Facebook video of him driving while vibing to Taylor Swift’s “Blank Space” with their son, Barron.

So, what about private property? Turns out, both sitting and past presidents can drive - but only off public roads.

Joe Biden took a Ford F-150 Lightning for a test drive in May 2021 at a Michigan manufacturing plant. George W Bush revealed in 2017 on Jay Leno’s 'Garage' that while he hadn’t driven on a public road in 25 years, he still enjoyed driving on his Texas ranch.

Barack Obama admitted on 'Jimmy Kimmel Live!' in 2015 that he wasn’t allowed to drive, but had briefly taken a former staffer’s electric car for a spin on the White House lawn. He even drove Jerry Seinfeld around the White House driveway for 'Comedians in Cars Getting Coffee'.

So, while Trump may never be spotted behind the wheel of his new Tesla on the freeway, maybe he can take a page out of Obama’s book and do a few laps around the White House lawn.

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