This job would be infinitely more difficult if the President of the United States acted more like “the most powerful man on Earth.” After all, most presidents – man or woman, would be extremely comfortable in their own skin and have very little response to the American public having a good time at his or her expense. “At the end of the day, I am still the one in the White House… ” is the perfect comeback and probably how it should go. Fortunately, this president is bothered by even the slightest of slights, never mind taco grande memes that cut right at his core being. Yes, according to CNN, Trump is very bothered by the “Trump Always Chickens Out” (TACO) meme that is torching permanent pathways through the electric internet. Of course, this makes perfect sense, given that it nails him three or four times over. But we’re ahead of ourselves a bit.
According to a new report by CNN, this meme is only now reaching into Trump’s viscera (the part where he thinks) – if we are to believe the report at all:
There was a reason for President Donald Trump’s particularly scathing response when a reporter asked him Wednesday about a new term coined about the president’s tariffs: TACO, or Trump Always Chickens Out. He had not yet heard the term, according to a senior White House official who acknowledged to CNN that the president was caught off guard. Trump had said as much at the time, saying “I’ve never heard that” before calling it the “nastiest question.”
It is not a nasty question because it could be turned irrelevant in one walloping sweep. All Trump would’ve had to have done is smile and say, “That’s pretty good,” and have a laugh at himself and people’s cleverness. BAM, meme over. It is no fun if the president partakes in the laughter.
But fear not, that isn’t what happened or what will surely continue happening because this one got to him:
Trump also vented his frustrations to his team following the exchange, sources familiar with the matter said. He was not only irked by the term itself but also by his team’s failure to tell him about the phrase gaining traction. It’s a window into what may offend Trump the most: He took clear umbrage with the idea that people perceive his tariff adjustments as weakness. Trump’s real-time response also demonstrated his view that the shorthand diminished what he sees as an essential negotiating tactic on trade.
Yes, it could, right up until the White House put out a statement saying, “Well, it’s wrong, he isn’t always a chicken. And, no – the term doesn’t bother him, he got a kick out of it. He is far more bothered that the staff failed to alert him about something that has become so prevalent.” Again, bang – meme dead, and so is any motivation to recklessly go forward imposing tariffs, “just to show them who isn’t a chicken!”
It is noteworthy that this hits Trump on any number of levels. Now he has to absorb the fact that his staff is too scared to even report essential facts to him. (Something denting his “brand” is an essential fact to Trump, if no other president.) Second, Trump does have to acknowledge that so far, he has chickened out on tariffs of the type to which Wall Street has its own visceral reaction. Furthermore, the word “taco” conjures up Hispanic immigrants in a way that sounds like the constantly marginalized group is getting a laugh at his expense. Last, the word itself, “Taco” is just funny, period. Say it three times and try to hold back a smile or laugh – it can’t be done. ‘Just tried. Again.
This is where working for Trump has to be especially difficult. Every part of a normal staffer would be begging Trump to let them put out a statement, “The president got a kick out of the meme. It is very funny. But tariffs are serious, and so is the president.” That’s it – over. But it’ll never happen, and that’s why normal people don’t work for Trump. Among many other reasons.
And that’s how one just keeps coming back to this line of work. It can be so easy at times. I leave you with some gifts. Please don’t say I never gave you anything.
Trump gets visibly angry at "chickening out" question about tariffs. Says to the reporter, "You ask a nasty question like that"(animation from the archives)
— Ann Telnaes (@anntelnaes.bsky.social) 2025-05-28T16:45:57.583Z
HEADED FOR A SHOWDOWNTrump Ignores Brutal Tariff Ruling in Bizarre Late-Night Angry Pooptweeting Spreewww.thedailybeast.com/trump-ignore…
— BrokenPromiseland (@brokenpromisedland.bsky.social) 2025-05-29T05:27:51.773Z
Then keep poking the wound. If he's so weak that this is getting too him, make it hurt more, not less. It drives him crazy. Foot on the gas. But the tendency in America is to "Oh we don't want to make him angry!" which he counts on. No. www.rawstory.com/trump-manhoo…
— PortiaMcGonagal (@portiamcgonagal.bsky.social) 2025-05-31T17:01:58.832Z
— Blue In A Red State (@bluenredstate.bsky.social) 2025-06-01T03:12:12.788Z
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God Bless: I can be reached at [email protected] and also on X at @JasonMiciak, and please follow me now on Bluesky.
Zoomers, we are always in need of donations. It’s been an especially rough month, and my own health has not been great these past few weeks, which just adds to the frustration. Anything you can spare will be immensely appreciated. And thank you to all who have donated generously already. Ursula
just my opinion but I think he’s most bothered by the chicken part. it’s a major part of his brand that he be perceived as a tough guy mob boss type. look at his trading cards and other fantastical artwork that depict his as a buff tough guy. the fact that half the country and the whole rest of the world know otherwise is irrelevant. his inability to let stuff go is part of this. he sees hitting back as a characteristic of toughness. he will never see himself as foolish. that is just not possible for him.
as for all the negotiating I seriously doubt he knows anything at all about trade. I also don’t see anyone around him with that kind of expertise.
I think that’s an excellent observation and agree totally.
jason
I’m on the lookout for some enterprising person to create red baseball caps with the word TACO on the front in the MAGA font.
>>have a laugh at himself and people’s cleverness
I’m convinced that Trump literally *can’t* laugh. I’ll bet he’s never had a full-on, uproarious, bend-over-and-clutch-his-belly laugh in his entire life; the best he can manage is a mean smirk when he thinks he has put one over on someone else.
His inability to laugh shows all over his perpetually-scowling mug. He wouldn’t even comprehend the idea laughing at himself to diffuse criticism; “does not compute.”