TACO Don: Why a Seemingly Silly Insult Hits Donald Trump Where It Hurts

[Yo_Mama_Been_Loggin]

Rick Wilson

Among all the barbs hurled at Donald Trump over the years — from the devastatingly clinical takedowns by career prosecutors to the meme-worthy Twitter dunks — few insults have had the sheer, inexplicable sting of being called “TACO.”

“Trump Always Chickens Out.”

Penned by Wall Street wags tired of his trade war pump-and-dump behavior, the so-called Masters of the Universe finally understand that Trump’s trade war is like Trump himself: stochastic boasting, deep-vein chaos, juvenile bluster backed up by … nothing.

It’s short, sharp, silly on its face — but beneath that shell is a devastating payload. Like so many things with Trump, the humor strikes a deeper, raw nerve. The insult enrages him not because it’s the cruelest or cleverest, but because it’s the most diminishing. And Donald Trump cannot survive being made small.

You could see it today when a reporter asked him about it — his slow, bovine mind registering the insult gradually, but deeply. His snippish responses belied his rage. As an anthropologist of this hideous creature, one of my perverse delights is watching him try to hide that rage as his spun-sugar ego takes a hit. Having delivered many such hits myself, I like to call it an allowable cruelty.

https://www.lincolnsquare.media/p/taco-don-why-a-seemingly-silly-insult

[Scrivener7]

1. "Smelly" and "weird" got traction too. But "taco" seems to be his least favorite. Which shocks me.

When I first read it, I thought it was so mild it wouldn't make a dent.

But then, when they put cameras on phones, I thought that would never catch on. No kidding. So don't listen to me.

[hannah]

2. I sort of like TACOS

Trump’s A

Corrupt Overweight Shithead

[Paladin]

3. Extra credit to Rick Wilson for the "his slow, bovine mind" image.

Perfect description of trump when he's frantically trying to say something coherent in public---and invariably failing.

[LetMyPeopleVote]

4. Maddow Blog-Unfortunately for Trump, the 'TACO' label isn't just true, it's also gaining traction

The “Trump Always Chickens Out” framing has caught on with extraordinary speed. That’s likely to annoy the president to no end.

Unfortunately for Trump, the ‘TACO’ label isn’t just true, it’s also gaining traction

The “Trump Always Chickens Out” framing has caught on with extraordinary speed. That’s likely to annoy the president to no end.

www.msnbc.com/rachel-maddo...

— Jonathan-FL #HumanRightsForEVERYONE (@amerliberal.bsky.social) 2025-05-30T18:14:22.103Z

https://www.msnbc.com/rachel-maddow-show/maddowblog/trump-taco-label-always-chickens-out-rcna209930

It was just a few days ago when The New York Times published a headline — on Page 3 of Section B — that read, “Stocks Rally on the ‘TACO Trade.’” The accompanying article was principally about Wall Street climbing after Trump delayed his announced tariffs on the European Union, but it also included this explanation:

Stock markets jumped on Tuesday, with the S&P 500 posting its biggest gain in weeks. ... They also talked about tacos. Or rather, the ‘TACO’ trade, which is short for Trump Always Chickens Out. The tongue-in-cheek term, coined by [Financial Times columnist Robert Armstrong], has been adopted by some to describe the pattern in which markets tumble after Mr. Trump makes tariff threats, only to rebound just as sharply when he relents and gives countries more time to negotiate deals.

A day later, at an Oval Office event, a reporter asked the president for his response. Trump was not only visibly furious, he also demanded that no one ever ask him about the subject again — seemingly indifferent to the fact that journalists don’t work for him and have no reason to honor his demands.
https://bsky.app/profile/did:plc:aunpu65mdrhwfie7ynymlzeh/post/3lqapflebs22u

Link to tweet

......Part of the appeal of the “TACO” framing is that it’s rooted in undeniable facts: For too long, Trump has talked tough and thumped his chest, made disruptive and destabilizing announcements, only to slink away when forced to deal with the consequences of his irresponsibility. The origin of the acronym might have been in response to the president’s approach to tariffs, but given his record of backing down under pressure, the label has a broader applicability.

Or put another way, it’s funny because it’s true: He really does always chicken out.

But there’s another dimension to this. As The Bulwark’s Jonathan Last noted, one of the reasons “TACO” is sticking is that “it’s organic.” Last added, “No Democratic strategist came up with TACO.”

Quite right. Sometimes good ideas come by way of focus groups, market research or some combination of strategists and influencers, but there’s something to be said for ideas that gain traction organically because they’re clever and effective.