Do you like looking at pictures of old, powerful white men who are technically not allowed to drive by themselves anymore sitting behind the wheels of big, fancy trucks and cars? You’re in luck. On Tuesday, U.S. President Joe Biden got the chance to test drive Ford’s new electric truck, the F-150 Lightning, ahead of its official unveiling on Wednesday. (“This sucker’s quick,” Biden told reporters after he zoomed the truck around the racetrack for a bit.)
But he’s not the only president to mug for cameras, playing the role of Cool Truck Guy. Our last president also got the chance to take some photos like a real big boy behind the wheel of a truck. Let’s remember some moments in recent presidential truck history along with totally unrelated quotes.
“The future of the auto industry is electric.”
“The future of the auto industry is electric. There’s no turning back. Right now, China is leading in this race — make no bones about it, it’s a fact. They think they’re going to win. But I’ve got news for them — they will not win this race.” –Joe Biden
“We send them beef.”
“I was in Los Angeles. I saw the biggest ships you have ever seen with cars pouring off from Japan into Los Angeles. Just pouring off these ships, and I am saying to myself, we send them beef, it’s a tiny fraction, and, by the way, they don’t even want it, they have to fight in order to take it in because they don’t even want it, and it’s very perishable, they’ll send it back, they’ll find reasons not to take it. And yet the ships, the boats, the ships are loaded up with cars, thousands of cars and they are just pouring off.” –Donald Trump
“Trump picks big oil.”
“Where [Trump] reverses the Obama-Biden fuel efficiency standards, he picks Big Oil. He picks Big Oil companies over American workers, even when the automobile industry agreed. I don’t want to bring the standards back, I’ll set new ambitious ones that our workers are ready to meet. I also see American workers building and installing 500,000 electric vehicle charging stations along our newly engaged infrastructure programs and highways, all across the country. I see American consumers switching to electric vehicles through rebates and initiatives.
“Not only that, the U.S. owns and maintains an enormous fleet of vehicles. And we’re going to harness the purchasing power of our federal government to make sure we’re buying electric vehicles that are made and sourced by union workers right here in the United States of America. And together, this will mean more than a million new jobs in the American auto industry.” –Joe Biden
“Darling, where do I get a charge?”
“No more aeroplanes, no more cows, one car per family. You know, I don’t think one car per family in Michigan plays too well, do you? And it’s got to be of course an electric car, even if it only goes… 257 km? What do you do with 257 km. …Darling, where do I get a charge?” –Donald Trump (There is no mention of a limit on cars per family in the Green New Deal or in any other legislation.)
“You think I’m kidding.”
“By the way, they tell me, and I’m looking forward to it if it’s true to driving one, that they’re making an electric Corvette that can go 322 km/h. You think I’m kidding, I’m not kidding.” – Joe Biden (That Corvette exists and costs a cool $US750,000 ($961,950).)
“What they’ve done in California is just crazy.”
“I’m OK with electric cars, too. I’m all for electric cars. I’ve given big incentives for electric cars. What they’ve done in California is just crazy.” –Donald Trump (The Trump administration gave no incentives to electric vehicles; the incentives he appears to be referencing were an Obama-era initiative.)
“We’re going to set a new pace for electric vehicles.”
“We’re going to set a new pace for electric vehicles. That means reversing the previous administration’s short-sighted rollback of vehicle emissions and efficiency standards, setting strong, clear targets where we need to go.” –Joe Biden
“They are beautiful, beautiful trucks.”
“They are beautiful, beautiful trucks. That’s the real deal.” –Donald Trump
“I’m a car guy.”
“My name is Joe Biden and I’m a car guy.” –Joe Biden
“Beep, beep.”
“Beep, beep.” – Donald Trump (Please note the former U.S. president did not make this sound, but he sure did seem to enjoy honking a big rig horn.)