Trump slams reporter who asked him about ‘TACO’ nickname over his tariff withdrawals: 'A nasty question'

WASHINGTON, DC: A tense moment unfolded at the White House on Wednesday, May 28, when President Donald Trump lashed out at a reporter during a live press conference after she brought up a mocking Wall Street nickname for his latest trade strategy, “TACO trade” short for “Trump Always Chickens Out.”

The female reporter explained that the term was being used by investors who claim Trump's frequent reversals on tariff threats are the reason markets have remained stable.

Trump, visibly irritated, first claimed ignorance of the term, then grew defensive, reports Hello Magazine.

Donald Trump explodes at reporter over 'TACO' nickname during press briefing

Megan Casella from CNBC pointed out that some analysts have been using that term and asked, “How do you respond to that?”

Trump paused to ask what the term meant, saying he’d “never heard that.” Then, turning to the reporter, he added, “Isn't that nice? I ‘chickened out’ You mean because I reduced China from 145%, that I set, down to 100%, then to another number? And I said, ‘you have to open your whole country?’”

“We have an end date of July 9. You call that chickening out? Because we have $14 trillion now invested, committed to investing - when Biden didn't have practically ANYTHING. This country was dying.”

Trump snapped. “Six months ago, this country was stone-cold dead,” he continued, raising his voice. “And you ask a nasty question like that? It's called negotiation. Don’t ever say what you said.”

This wasn’t the first time Trump has lost his cool with members of the press. Just last month, during an interview with ABC News’ Terry Moran, he bristled at questions about a wrongly deported Maryland man and doubled down on sharing a doctored photo to justify the mistake, reports People.

“You’re not being very nice,” Trump scolded Moran during the interview. “This is why people don’t trust the news, because it’s fake news.”

Internet reacts after Donald Trump snaps at reporter explaining his 'TACO' nickname

President Trump ignited another wave of online commentary after visibly lashing out at a reporter who explained the meaning behind his controversial nickname “TACO”, an acronym critics say stands for “Trump Always Chickens Out”.

The incident, captured on camera during a press conference, prompted divided reactions online, with Trump supporters rallying behind him and critics mocking his confusion and reaction.

Supporters defended Trump’s tariff policies and blasted the media, saying, “Trump’s tariffs weren’t weakness, they were leverage smart business 101.”

“Fake News will always be fake news! Trump’s tariffs weren’t about ‘chickening out’ — they were smart moves to pressure China and the EU into fairer trade deals!” one wrote.

Another added, “Someone needs to get these low-viewer legacy media outlets out of that room... it's ridiculous.”

Others aimed Trump’s reaction and cognitive clarity, “It took him a while to finally understand why they call him that. Like his brain needed to catch up. Then he got pissed.”

“She thought she had her big moment. Instead she was made a fool. Idiot,” one Trump defender wrote, while another critic added, “Trump is definitely needing a hearing aid. I feel even more embarrassed for him each time he holds a press conference!”

Some pointed to media manipulation saying, “It's interesting how the media is trying to push that 'TACO' thing. It just goes to show how they all work together trying to push a narrative,” while others simply mocked the moment, “You’re old and stuck in the 50s, you’ve heard of it."

This article contains remarks made on the Internet by individual people and organizations. MEAWW cannot confirm them independently and does not support claims or opinions being made online.