Trump administration orders $22 million fleet of Cadillac Escalades amid cost-of-living crisis

President Donald Trump used a one-hour address at a General Motors facility in Michigan to unveil a plan for the White House to buy 250 Cadillac Escalade SUVs, each with a sticker price north of $90,000 and possibly armored versions exceeding $300,000, amounting to about $22 million in federal spending. The procurement was presented as a morale-boosting gesture despite soaring gasoline prices, record-high mortgage rates and an estimated $1,200 extra cost per household from the ongoing Iran conflict.

Social-media users and commentators ridiculed the decision as out of touch, with an X post noting the irony of luxury spending while citizens struggle. The speech also drifted into topics like transgender rights, alleged “Marxist protesters,” and warnings of future national bankruptcy under Democratic control. Trump claimed a long-standing “Man of the Year” honor from Michigan, a claim that a journalist at one outlet could not verify. Overall, the announcement sparked criticism for its perceived extravagance amid economic hardship.