President Donald Trump’s tariff policies have been criticized by some foreign automakers this year, so it stunned many observers when Toyota CEO Toyoda appeared at a public event wearing a bright red “Make America Great Again” hat. This surprising display came just as Toyota and many others are expanding major investments in the United States — and as global corporations double down on America’s long-term economic promise.

CEO Toyoda Has a MAGA Moment at Fuji Speedway

Akio Toyoda appeared Sunday at a NASCAR event at Fuji Speedway, where the crowd cheered and waved American flags. 

He didn’t just don a MAGA hat — he also wore a “Trump–Vance 2024” T-shirt, according to Fox Business. U.S. Ambassador to Japan George Glass also attended the event.

Toyota, long the best-selling foreign automaker in the U.S., has much at stake as tariffs evolve. Toyoda used his appearance to signal support for collaboration rather than confrontation.

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“I’m not here to argue whether tariffs are good or bad. Every national leader wants to protect their own auto industry,” Toyoda said. “We are exploring ways to make tariffs a winner for everyone. The people we want most to be winners are our customers.”

In September, Trump signed an executive order reducing tariffs on Japanese auto imports from 27.5% to 15%.

Toyota Announces $912 Million U.S. Investment

Just two days after the viral MAGA moment, Toyota announced a $912 million investment in U.S. manufacturing (2). The funds will support hybrid production at five major plants:

• Buffalo, West Virginia
• Georgetown, Kentucky
• Blue Springs, Mississippi
• Jackson, Tennessee
• Troy, Missouri

This move is part of Toyota’s broader plan to inject up to $10 billion into its U.S. operations over the next five years, as previously announced on Nov. 13.

Global Giants Bet Big on America

Toyota isn’t alone. Major corporations across multiple sectors are dramatically expanding their U.S. commitments:

• Apple: $600 billion for manufacturing and workforce training
• Johnson & Johnson: $55 billion for U.S. manufacturing, R&D, and new technologies
• Hyundai: $21 billion to expand automotive production capacity and future-tech development

These massive pledges highlight a larger trend: global companies continue to view the United States as one of the safest and most promising investment environments on earth — even amid political disagreements or controversial policies like tariffs.

Why the World Keeps Betting on America

The U.S. economy’s resilience and innovation ecosystem remain unmatched, a reality backed by some of the world’s most successful investors.

Legendary Berkshire Hathaway chairman Warren Buffett has repeatedly emphasized why America remains the best place to build wealth.

“America has been a terrific country for investors. All they have needed to do is sit quietly, listening to no one,” Buffett wrote in his 2023 shareholder letter.

He has been consistent:

“For 240 years, it’s been a terrible mistake to bet against America, and now is no time to start,” he wrote in 2016 (8). “America’s golden goose of commerce and innovation will continue to lay more and larger eggs.”

Buffett’s own results prove the point.

“I can’t remember a period since March 11, 1942 — the date of my first stock purchase — that I have not had a majority of my net worth in equities, U.S.-based equities,” he recalled.

For everyday Americans, Buffett’s advice remains simple: a long-term investment in an S&P 500 index fund remains one of the most reliable wealth-building strategies.