US President Banned From Driving, Trump Disappointed Can't Drive Tesla

United States President Donald Trump while showing off his newest vehicle Tesla (@trump)

JAKARTA - The president of the United States, who is in office such as Donald Trump and former president, is prohibited from driving public roads by the US Secret Service. This policy is implemented as a security measure to reduce the risk of threats to the country's leaders.

Last week Donald Trump caught the eye after announcing he bought the Tesla Model S electric car. However, while inspecting the car outside the White House with Tesla CEO Elon Musk, Trump expressed his disappointment at not being able to drive it himself.

"Now is the bad news: I'm not allowed to drive. I haven't been driving for a long time, even though I really like it," Donald Trump told reporters.

"However, I will leave this car in the White House so that my staff can use it. They are all very excited. Believe it or not, I'm really not allowed to drive it?"

Donald Trump added that driving was one of his greatest pleasures in life. "One of the best things in my life is driving, but I can't do it anymore," he said.

The ban on driving is not an official law, but a security policy enforced by the US Secret Service. The president, former president, and vice president are not allowed to drive alone on the highway and are always escorted by a professional security team. This team consists of trained drivers who have special skills in avoiding obstacles and dealing with emergency situations.

A number of former US presidents who have a love for cars must also follow this rule. They are only allowed to drive on private property. For example, at the Jay Leno's Garage event in 2017, former President George W Bush revealed that he had not been driving on the highway for more than two decades and could only drive on his family's farm in Texas.

In 2012, Barack Obama had expressed his joy at driving the 1963 Corvette. However, his journey was limited to the White House yard. At that time, a guard told him that he was not allowed to open the gate and go out to public roads.

Donald Trump is known to have a collection of luxury cars such as Rolls-Royce Phantom and Rolls-Royce Silver Cloud. In 2014, a video uploaded by Melania Trump on social media showed herself enjoying a trip on the highway while listening to Taylor Swift's song.

In February 2025, Donald Trump also appeared in the mitigating 500 racing event in Florida. He boarded The Beast, an armored presidential car driven by a secret agent, and toured the track with his escort motorcade. He also conveyed an encouraging message to the riders who competed.

"I'm a big fan of racing and I love you all very much. I want you guys to stay safe," Trump told the drivers.

The ban on driving for the US president shows how tight security is for the country's leaders. Although Donald Trump cannot enjoy driving his Tesla Model S, this policy remains in place to maintain the safety of himself and other former presidents.