The White House has joined the internet’s growing impatience over Grand Theft Auto VI, posting an image featuring President Donald Trump, a futuristic flying car and Marine One to celebrate Elon Musk’s latest Tesla demonstration.
The official White House X account shared the image Friday, Oct. 16, with a caption familiar to anyone who has spent time waiting for Rockstar Games’ next blockbuster.
“We really got flying cars before GTA 6,” the post read.
The illustration shows Trump walking beside a hovering sports car while a helicopter resembling Marine One flies overhead. The artwork also incorporates the slogan “Make America Great Again” in lettering inspired by the Grand Theft Auto franchise.
It’s the latest example of the administration borrowing imagery from popular video games for its official social media messaging.
Tesla’s Flying Car Gets the Grand Theft Auto Treatment
The post followed Tesla’s unveiling of its long-awaited second-generation Roadster on Oct. 15 at a SpaceX facility in Texas.
During the demonstration, the electric sports car used compressed-gas thrusters to launch itself into the air, perform a midair maneuver and land back on its wheels.
According to the Associated Press, the vehicle also accelerated from 0 to 60 mph in less than a second. However, anyone hoping to purchase a flying car will have to wait.
Tesla does not expect consumer production to begin until 2028, and the vehicle still faces substantial regulatory hurdles before it could legally operate on public roads.
That makes the White House’s joke particularly fitting.
Grand Theft Auto VI has also had a lengthy development cycle and multiple delays. Rockstar currently plans to release the game Nov. 19, 2026, for PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X/S.
The upcoming game returns players to Vice City and the fictional state of Leonida, following protagonists Jason and Lucia through a criminal conspiracy.
Why Marine One Appears in the White House Meme
Including Marine One gives the gaming joke an unusual military connection.
Marine One is the call sign used whenever the president is aboard a Marine Corps aircraft. Marine Helicopter Squadron One, commonly known as HMX-1, operates presidential helicopters and is based at Marine Corps Base Quantico, Virginia.
According to the Marine Corps, the squadron has supported presidential helicopter transportation since 1957, when President Dwight D. Eisenhower began using helicopters to travel between locations.
The administration has previously incorporated video game imagery into its communications. In March, the White House published a video combining footage of military strikes against Iran with clips from Top Gun, Halo and other entertainment properties, drawing scrutiny over its presentation of military operations.
The latest post focuses on a lighter subject: a flying-car demonstration and the seemingly endless wait for one of gaming’s most anticipated releases. For now, Rockstar’s game is scheduled to arrive more than a year before Tesla expects to begin producing its new Roadster for customers.
