Pick-Up Diplomacy: Japan Rolls Out Gold F-150 and Patriotic Toyotas to Impress Trump

TOKYO — Hoping to appeal to President Trump’s fondness for shiny objects and American branding, Japan welcomed him Monday with a gold Ford F-150 flanked by two Toyota sedans that had been aggressively “MAGA-fied.”

Witnesses described one Toyota covered in flag decals, another with a massive bald eagle on the hood, as a Japanese orchestral rendition of “Party in the U.S.A.” played in the background.

After spotting the gold truck, Trump nodded approvingly. “They get it,” he told reporters. “This is real friendship—friendship you can drive.” He later praised Prime Minister Takaichi for her “strong instincts,” adding that she was “very classy, even for a woman leader—which I respect almost as much as a truck.”

Japanese officials said the display was meant to symbolize “strength, unity, and horsepower,” though insiders admitted it was mostly “whatever makes him sign the papers.”

Experts have already dubbed the meeting a success, noting that Trump left Tokyo describing Japan as “a wonderful country—very loyal, very shiny, very gold.”