Day 197 – Imagine You’re the Toyota President

August 4, 2025

Imagine, you’re the Toyota president and you meet in the White House with Donald Trump.

Trump comes in, starts talking and he asks you why you don’t make cars in America? You’re about to answer, but you can’t because Donald keeps going on. He, the Donald asks, “Wouldn’t it be better to make the cars here in America, than ship them from Japan?

You’re about to answer, but Trump rambles on.

This gives you time to think of an appropriate answer. But what can you say?

BTW:

I did a quick Google search “Toyota facilities in America” and got this:

Toyota operates 11 manufacturing facilities across the United States, producing a wide range of vehicles, engines, and components. These facilities are located in North Carolina, Alabama, Indiana, Kentucky, Mississippi, Missouri, Tennessee, Texas, West Virginia, and California. 

So your problem is that you don’t want to insult the President of the United States by pointing out the fact that the vehicles and many of their parts are made or assembled here.

You could say something like, “You are so right. We will begin immediately to follow up on your suggestion.”

Then when he finds out he’s been made a fool of it could be worse.

Best thing to do for the moment is to smile and nod sagely. Look like you are paying attention and taking what he is saying seriously.

He continues to talk and you look serious, smile a bit, and nod.

Finally, he turns to you and asks if you have anything to add. Your best move? Say, “No, I think you’ve covered everything.”

Meetings over. Shake his hand and tell him you will start immediately on his advice. He asks if you can invest 500 billion in the U.S.A.?

You say, “Yes, of course.”

He smiles and says, “So we have a deal?”

You smile, shake is hand and say, “Deal.”

You are about to leave and wonder what just happened? You wonder if the President knows you’ve invested over $25 billion in the U.S. since 2018? That you employ 135,900 people in the U.S. and 470,100 when you factor in all the ancillary jobs. What can you say? Well, the President seems pleased, “We have a deal!” he announces loudly and triumphantly. You smile and nod.

You are ushered out of the Oval Office.

Okay, it’s my fantasy of how such a meeting would go. But he did ask the question about Toyotas.