Amid the government’s constant back-and-forth of attack and retreat in the Iran war, the term “Donald Trump TACO” has once again gained momentum on the internet. The phrase has turned up on the trending page for the second time after the President declared that the US and Iran had recently conducted “productive conversations” about finding a middle ground regarding their differences.
Here’s why ‘Donald Trump TACO’ is trending
On Monday, March 23, the POTUS took to social media to share that he is postponing military action in the Middle East after progressive negotiations with Iran.
“I AM PLEASED TO REPORT THAT THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA, AND THE COUNTRY OF IRAN, HAVE HAD, OVER THE LAST TWO DAYS, VERY GOOD AND PRODUCTIVE CONVERSATIONS REGARDING A COMPLETE AND TOTAL RESOLUTION OF OUR HOSTILITIES IN THE MIDDLE EAST. BASED ON THE TENOR AND TONE OF THESE IN DEPTH, DETAILED, AND CONSTRUCTIVE CONVERSATIONS, WHICH WILL CONTINUE THROUGHOUT THE WEEK,” wrote Donald Trump in the Truth Social post.
The businessman-turned-politician further added, “I HAVE INSTRUCTED THE DEPARTMENT OF WAR TO POSTPONE ANY AND ALL MILITARY STRIKES AGAINST IRANIAN POWER PLANTS AND ENERGY INFRASTRUCTURE FOR A FIVE DAY PERIOD, SUBJECT TO THE SUCCESS OF THE ONGOING MEETINGS AND DISCUSSIONS.”
However, with Iran’s parliament speaker denying any negotiations via an X (formerly Twitter) update and describing the President’s move as a retreat, the term “Donald Trump TACO” has once again started making waves online. The acronym, meaning “Trump Always Chickens Out,” came into being in May 2025 after Financial Times commentator Robert Armstrong coined it in a report.
The veteran journalist used the phrase to explain the two-time President’s tactics during the tariff trade wars last year. “Donald Trump TACO” alludes to Trump’s strategy of raising the tariff rate on certain countries to instigate an economic panic, only to revert back with pauses or reductions, causing the market to rebound.
Meanwhile, Donald Trump also had a heated response to the term. When asked about the same by a reporter in May 2025, he told CNN, “I chicken out? Oh, I’ve never heard that. You mean because I reduced China from 145% that I set down to 100 and then to another number?” Notably, this was in reference to the tariffs he imposed on imports from China.
