We don't always like to be the ones to tell Donald Trump something first, to gauge whether he's faking it or has really never heard about a Signal group chat on the front page of the Atlantic, or the brother of the King of England, or a journalist he met in the dressing room at Bergdorf Goodman. But once in a while we really relish dropping an info-bomb on his yammy pate, something we knew first.
That's just what CNBC reporter Megan Cassella did on Wednesday in the White House press briefing, casually bringing up a new meme taking the internet by storm.
"Wall Street analysts have coined a new term called the 'TACO trade.' They're saying, 'Trump always chickens out' on your tariff threats, and that's why markets are higher this week." - Megan Cassella, CNBC
As you can imagine, Trump took the whole thing with a grain of tajin--(that's better-than-salt for all of you uncultured swines)--spending the next 56 seconds praising his tariff policies and negotiation tactics ("please, let's meet right now - please, let's meet right now") before he addressed the question, something about "nasty."
None of this would be news to anyone who's survived the last 9 years, but when we have a moment of joy to latch onto in the form of a tidal wave of internet memes, you best not stand in our way.
And America showed up.
Some were easy, given to us by the great Mangonada, himself. After all, Trump Tower serves up a great Mexican cuisine.
"Hate it." - Eugene, the Try Guys
"I would dare say it's not very good." - Keith, the Try Guys.
"This is his restaurant. This is all he eats all the time. No wonder he's so bitter and unhappy." - Zach, the Try Guys
But then we stepped in, with our shitty Groks and ChatGPT fraudulent art, and the Trump TACO meme took its place in history.
There's the Taco-Head, which, let's be honest, is an improvement on the hair...
...the Trump-as-Chicken, which landed in the Economic Times...
…Trump, the tariff-warbling mariachi singer…
...and the taco-suit meme, which graced the cover of the ever-politically-swinging Drudge Report.
Now, I don't want to be petty here. All these comments can be pretty hurtful to an old bugger with a weak 3am bladder and penchant for uppers. So I'm going to be the bigger person and just grab lunch for myself on the way out.
"One chicken soft TACO to go."
(But really, just go.)
Ellie is an author, editor, and small-business owner, and works with filmmakers, podcasts, and journalists all over the world. She lives with her family just outside of New York City.
Maybe being a retired teacher makes me want to red pencil “old bugger with a weak 3am bladder and pension for uppers”.
I think it’s penchant instead. I am a fan and unpaid supporter 💕😊
Mas taquitos por favor!