Stephen King's Post Trolling Donald Trump Takes Off Online

 

Stephen King’s latest dig at President Donald Trump has quickly gone viral, amassing over 1.5 million views on social media within just 24 hours.

The post, featuring the acronym “TACO: Trump Always Chickens Out,” is part of a growing wave of “TACO” memes mocking Trump’s tariff policies, which have become a frequent target online.

In response, White House spokesperson Kush Desai told Newsweek, “Art reflects the artist, and these silly acronyms only show how some analysts have embarrassed themselves by mocking President Trump and the agenda that has already delivered multiple job reports beating expectations, lower inflation, trillions in investment commitments, a historic trade deal with the UK, and rising consumer confidence.”

On April 2, Trump announced a broad set of global tariffs, including a 10 percent baseline on all imports and so-called “reciprocal” tariffs. The announcement caused a sharp decline in the stock markets, with Wall Street experiencing its worst losses since 2020 and trillions of dollars wiped from market value.

After these tariffs took effect, Trump paused most of the “reciprocal” tariffs for 90 days, sparking a rally in the markets. Since Trump took office, global markets have been unsettled by the ongoing cycle of tariff announcements, implementations, suspensions, and sometimes reinstatements.

The president has also publicly pressured Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell to cut interest rates, even hinting at firing him, though he later backed off.

King’s viral post on X (formerly Twitter) comes amid rising online criticism of Trump’s economic and diplomatic approaches. The post has nearly 8,000 shares and over 56,000 likes. King has a history of posting popular critiques of Trump on social media.

The acronym “TACO” originated in financial circles as a sarcastic nod to Trump’s tariff threats and his perceived flip-flopping.

During a recent exchange, CNBC’s Megan Casella referenced the “TACO trade” theory while questioning Trump about his tariff strategy. Trump reacted sharply, calling her question “the nastiest” and telling her not to ask it again.

“I’ve never heard that. Because I reduced tariffs on China from 145 percent to 100, then lower,” Trump said. “I told them they have to open their whole country.”

He also pointed out the EU tariffs, saying, “I gave the European Union a 50 percent tariff. They called and said, ‘Please, let’s meet right now.’ I asked them for a date, because they weren’t willing to meet. After what I did, they said, ‘We’ll meet anytime you want,’ with an end date of July 9.”

“Is that chickening out?” Trump challenged, emphasizing the investments several companies have promised to make in the U.S.

Following this, hundreds of “TACO Trump” memes flooded the internet, with users posting images of Trump as a chicken or inside a taco, often tagged #TACOTrump.

University of Michigan economics professor Justin Wolfers told MSNBC, “There’s a crucial asset called American credibility. There was a time when the president’s words signaled real policy shifts other countries relied on. That’s no longer true. On Wall Street, it’s become almost a joke—but also tragic—that there’s something called the TACO trade: Trump always chickens out.”

Chris Beauchamp, chief market analyst at IG Group, remarked after a recent stock rally, “The TACO trade triumphs once again.”

Over the long weekend, Trump announced that the latest tariffs would be delayed until July 9 as U.S. and EU officials continue trade discussions.