President Donald Trump has told federal auto regulators to clear the path for the production and sale of kei vehicles in America, following his recent trip to Asia, where he saw pint-sized cars flooding the streets.
During a White House announcement on Wednesday, where he rolled back Biden-era fuel economy mandates, Trump described the cars as reminiscent of the classic Volkswagen Beetle.
“If you go to Japan, where I just left, and if you go to South Korea and Malaysia and other countries, they have a very small car—sort of like the Beetle used to be with the Volkswagen—they’re very small, they’re really cute, and I said, ‘How would that do in this country?’” Trump said in a clip reposted by X user Acyn, while he was flanked by Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy and auto executives from Ford and Stellantis.
Trump: If you go to Japan and South Korea and Malaysia, they have a very small car… Very small and really cute. You’re not allowed to build them and I have authorized the secretary to immediately approve the production of those cars. pic.twitter.com/MT6qchy8Bk
— Acyn (@Acyn) December 3, 2025
