Remember when Elon Musk was the only automotive CEO pandering to President Donald Trump? Well, those days are over. Toyota's CEO, Akio Toyoda, hosted an aggressively MAGA NASCAR-inspired event at the Fuji Speedway in Japan. In part, it was done to win over motorsports fans and diplomats, but it also seems to have been done to curry favor with the U.S. as tariffs are negotiated. After all, the way to Trump's heart is by putting his face on a t-shirt.

Toyoda billed the event, which was held in conjunction with an endurance race held at the Toyota-owned track, as an international celebration of car culture and proof of Japan's love for American cars, according to Automotive News, which apparently had a reporter in attendance at the event. I wonder if this little stunt from Toyoda will draw the ire of folks who love to demand we keep cars and politics separate. I don't think it will.