Honestly, it is hard to forget that photo. You know the one. It’s May 5, 2016—Cinco de Mayo—and Donald Trump is sitting at his massive, cluttered desk in Trump Tower. He’s got this huge, slightly mischievous grin on his face, a silver fork in hand, and a massive taco bowl sitting right in front of him.
The caption was pure Trump: "Happy #CincoDeMayo! The best taco bowls are made in Trump Tower Grill. I love Hispanics!"
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At the time, it felt like the internet collectively gasped. Or laughed. Or threw their phones across the room. Whether you viewed it as a genius bit of populist marketing or a cringeworthy attempt at cultural outreach, that taco reference to Trump became an instant, permanent part of American political lore. It wasn't just a tweet; it was a snapshot of a campaign style that would eventually change everything about how politicians use social media.
The Real Story Behind the Photo
People often assume these things are carefully staged by a room full of PR experts in suits. That’s not really how it went down. According to various reports and a profile in The Huffington Post, the idea actually came from a casual campaign lunch. Trump was eating the bowl, and a family member—reportedly Ivanka—suggested he should share it.
The interesting part? Paul Manafort, who was his campaign manager at the time, apparently tried to stop it. He reportedly "politely suggested" that it might come off as a bit condescending. Trump, being Trump, didn't care. He leaned in.
And it worked, at least in terms of attention. Within an hour, it had tens of thousands of retweets. It was the top trending topic on Twitter. The taco reference to Trump was everywhere.
Fact-Checking the Bowl
Because the internet is obsessed with details, people immediately started investigating the actual food.
- The Location: Trump claimed it was from the Trump Tower Grill.
- The Reality: Reporters quickly called the Grill only to find out they didn't actually serve taco bowls.
- The Fix: It turns out the "Taco Fiesta" bowl was actually on the menu at the Trump Cafe downstairs for $13.50.
A tiny detail? Sure. But it added to the "caricature" vibe of the whole moment. Then there was the desk. If you look closely at the high-res version of the photo, underneath the bowl is a stack of magazines. One of them was open to a picture of his ex-wife, Marla Maples, in a bikini. It was just a chaotic, very "un-presidential" image that felt totally authentic to who he was.
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"Taco Trucks on Every Corner"
You can't talk about the taco reference to Trump without mentioning the other big taco moment from 2016. Fast forward to September. Marco Gutierrez, the co-founder of "Latinos for Trump," went on MSNBC and dropped a line that would haunt the news cycle for weeks.
"My culture is a very dominant culture," Gutierrez told Joy Reid. "It's imposing and it's causing problems. If you don't do something about it, you're going to have taco trucks on every corner."
The reaction was immediate and hilarious. Most people's response was basically: "Wait, free tacos everywhere? Where do I sign up?" The hashtag #TacosOnEveryCorner blew up. Hillary Clinton even mentioned it in a speech, saying she thought a taco truck on every corner sounded "absolutely delicious."
It was a classic example of a "threat" that backfired because, well, people love tacos. It also highlighted the weird tension in the 2016 campaign between Trump's hardline immigration rhetoric and his occasional, if clumsy, attempts to say he "loved" the culture.
The 2025 "TACO Trade" Evolution
If you think the taco stuff ended in 2016, you haven't been paying attention to the markets lately. Just recently, in May 2025, a whole new taco reference to Trump emerged, but this one came from Wall Street, not a restaurant menu.
Financial Times columnist Robert Armstrong coined the term "TACO Trade." It stands for:
Trump Always Chickens Out.
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It describes a very specific market pattern. Trump announces a massive, terrifying new tariff—like the "Liberation Day" tariffs we saw recently—and the markets tank. Investors who know the "TACO" theory then swoop in and buy stocks while they're cheap. Why? Because they're betting that Trump will eventually delay or soften the tariffs once the economic pressure gets too high.
Why the Acronym Sticked
- Predictability: Traders realized he uses tariffs as a negotiating tool, not always a final policy.
- The Rebound: When he inevitably backs off (or "chickens out"), the markets surge back up.
- The Reaction: When asked about the "TACO trade" in a press conference last year, Trump called it a "nasty question."
It’s kind of wild that nearly a decade after a literal taco bowl, the word is still being used to define his legacy—this time as a sophisticated financial strategy for hedge fund managers.
The Cultural Impact: Why We Can't Look Away
So, why does this matter? Why are we still talking about a lunch from 2016?
Because it represents the "Meme-ification" of politics. Before Trump, presidential candidates were stiff. They were polished. They didn't post photos of themselves eating fast-food-adjacent meals on top of bikini photos.
The taco reference to Trump was a signal to his base that he was a "regular guy" who liked what they liked—even if he was eating it in a gold-plated skyscraper. It was a rejection of "pander-y" politics by being so over-the-top that it felt like a parody of pandering.
Different Perspectives on the Tweet
| Group | Interpretation |
|---|---|
| Supporters | Thought it was funny, authentic, and a middle finger to "PC" culture. |
| Critics | Saw it as "cultural appropriation" or a shallow gesture that ignored his actual policies. |
| Political Scientists | Viewed it as a masterpiece of "earned media"—millions of dollars in free coverage for the price of a $13 lunch. |
Lessons for the Future
If you're looking for the "so what" here, it's pretty simple. In the modern world, attention is the only currency that matters.
The taco reference to Trump taught a generation of politicians that being "cringe" or "controversial" is often better than being ignored. It doesn't matter if the taco bowl was "authentic" Mexican food (it definitely wasn't; it's a Tex-Mex invention from the 60s). What mattered was that everyone had an opinion on it.
Actionable Insights for Navigating Political News
- Look for the "Earned Media": When you see a politician doing something weird or "cringe," ask yourself: "Are they doing this to get me to talk about it?" The answer is almost always yes.
- Check the Backdrop: Always look at what's on the desk or in the background of "candid" political photos. There's usually a hidden message (or a Marla Maples photo) waiting to be found.
- Watch the Markets: If you're an investor, terms like "TACO trade" aren't just jokes; they're observations of behavioral patterns that can actually affect your portfolio.
- Enjoy the Tacos: At the end of the day, a taco truck on every corner is still a pretty great idea.
The taco bowl might have been a moment in time, but the strategy behind it—the mix of humor, controversy, and "I don't care what you think" attitude—is now the blueprint for how power works in the 2020s.
To stay informed on how these memes turn into actual policy, keep a close eye on the "TACO" patterns in trade negotiations over the next year. Understanding the man often means understanding the bowl.