KUALA LUMPUR, Oct 26 — Once United States President Donald Trump disembarked from his flying fortress, Air Force One, his fortress on wheels pulled up at the Kuala Lumpur International Airport to ferry the 79-year-old on his first visit to Malaysia.
Nicknamed “The Beast,” the bulletproof limousine was last seen on the streets of Kuala Lumpur in 2014, when former US President Barack Obama visited the capital.
The current Cadillac One, produced by General Motors, entered service in 2018 during Trump‘s first term and will now ferry him around on his first-ever trip to Malaysia.
Interestingly, two identical limousines — only one ferrying Trump — arrived at the Kuala Lumpur Convention Centre via the Traders Hotel KL route at 10.52am, escorted by a motorcade.
The second vehicle is typically used as a decoy to provide an additional layer of security to the US president.
The public’s fascination with the custom-built limousine stems from the fact that most of its security features are kept under wraps by the Secret Service.
Cadillac One, also known as The Beast, carrying US President Donald Trump and Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim, is seen entering the parking area as they arrive for the 47th Asean Summit at the Kuala Lumpur Convention Centre October 26, 2025. — Picture by Sayuti Zainudin
US presidents used Lincoln limousines, but it was US President Ronald Reagan who switched to the Cadillac limousine in 1983 following an assassination attempt.
Spanning five metres in length, the eight-tonne custom-built limousine can accommodate up to seven people, including the president.
When the car first debuted in 2018, NBC News reportedly said the limousine could pull some spy-thriller stunts such as putting out a smokescreen, firing tear gas or laying down oil slicks to derail vehicles chasing it.
Even the door handles can be electrified to shock intruders who try to break in.
The car reportedly includes a refrigerator full of the president’s own blood type.
While the array of weapons that The Beast hosts remains a mystery, Obama reportedly told comedian Jerry Seinfeld in 2015 that the earlier model that served him was “a Caddy on a tank frame” and that he “could call a nuclear submarine” from the vehicle.
The next generation of The Beast may already be in the works, as Reuters reported in March that the Secret Service has met with General Motors executives to discuss the specifics of the vehicle.
Malaysia is the first leg of Trump’s first Asia-Pacific tour since he returned to the White House for a second non-consecutive term in 2025.
