As fresh tariffs take effect, the ‘Taco Trump’ meme turns into a weekly internet fiesta
Following last week’s mainstream debut of the Wall Street-borne acronym TACO, or Trump Always Chickens Out, high-ranking Democrats and random social media users alike have turned the taunt into a weekly celebration: Taco Tuesday. Just in time for a fresh round of tariffs. Though the slogan had quietly circulated for weeks among stock traders navigating tariff turbulence, it hit critical mass on May 28, when a reporter asked Trump about it during a press conference. The president’s nuclear response, a warning to not “ever say what you said,” ended up Streisand Effect-ing the catchphrase into instant ubiquity. Democrats at the highest levels embraced it—including Rep. Eric Swalwell, who made a stilted TikTok about it, for which he was rightly roasted online—while millions of others simply wanted to know more. According to CNN’s Harry Enten, by May 30, Google searches for “Trump TACO” had shot up 9,900%. If it weren’t obvious enough from the press conference, a separate CNN report confirmed that the acronym got under Trump’s skin. Apparently, the president later chewed out members of his team for not alerting him that the taco meme had gained traction, leaving him to find out in real time, in full public view. “It clearly bothered him, primarily because it demonstrated a lack of understanding about how he actually utilizes those threats for leverage,” a source told CNN. “But obviously he’s not a guy who looks kindly on weakness, so the idea anyone would think that with respect to his actions isn’t received well.” Perhaps sensing how much the press conference blowup had stung Trump, both elected Democrats and random social media users went all in on the acronym. “Taco Trump” memes retained an ambient internet presence throughout the week, before erupting on- and offline on Tuesday. Taking advantage of the existing cultural branding, Taco Tuesday, Trump critics including Rep. Jamie Raskin used the occasion of the first such day since the slogan’s debut to drill down on their message. It's Taco Tuesday!— FEISTY
Following last week’s mainstream debut of the Wall Street-borne acronym TACO, or Trump Always Chickens Out, high-ranking Democrats and random social media users alike have turned the taunt into a weekly celebration: Taco Tuesday. Just in time for a fresh round of tariffs.
Though the slogan had quietly circulated for weeks among stock traders navigating tariff turbulence, it hit critical mass on May 28, when a reporter asked Trump about it during a press conference. The president’s nuclear response, a warning to not “ever say what you said,” ended up Streisand Effect-ing the catchphrase into instant ubiquity. Democrats at the highest levels embraced it—including Rep. Eric Swalwell, who made a stilted TikTok about it, for which he was rightly roasted online—while millions of others simply wanted to know more. According to CNN’s Harry Enten, by May 30, Google searches for “Trump TACO” had shot up 9,900%.
If it weren’t obvious enough from the press conference, a separate CNN report confirmed that the acronym got under Trump’s skin. Apparently, the president later chewed out members of his team for not alerting him that the taco meme had gained traction, leaving him to find out in real time, in full public view. “It clearly bothered him, primarily because it demonstrated a lack of understanding about how he actually utilizes those threats for leverage,” a source told CNN. “But obviously he’s not a guy who looks kindly on weakness, so the idea anyone would think that with respect to his actions isn’t received well.”
Perhaps sensing how much the press conference blowup had stung Trump, both elected Democrats and random social media users went all in on the acronym. “Taco Trump” memes retained an ambient internet presence throughout the week, before erupting on- and offline on Tuesday. Taking advantage of the existing cultural branding, Taco Tuesday, Trump critics including Rep. Jamie Raskin used the occasion of the first such day since the slogan’s debut to drill down on their message.
