Trump Can’t Grab Liberals By the ‘TACO’

Democrats have always had a messaging problem…until now.

Pexels | Photo by Israel Torres

If you enjoyed this article, please share it with a friend or consider becoming a paid subscriber. Weekday articles are free. Sunday’s article is for paid subscribers only.

Everyone knows when the press has dented Trump’s ego. His apricot face turns apple red. His mouth snarls. His sphincter clenches around his diapers. And he spits out his usual bark, “That’s a nasty question,” as if someone just asked him to name a book he has read.

And what was the latest “nasty” question? A reporter innocently (okay, not innocently) asked Trump how he felt about the new moniker circling the internet:

T.A.C.O. — Trump Always Chickens Out.

The moniker mocks Trump’s shambolic trade policies. One day, 145% tariffs. The next day, 40%. The next day…let’s take a nap in a Cabinet meeting because economic sabotage gets exhausting.

Trump wasn’t the only one butt hurt by some bad meat. (Sorry for the imagery.) Fox News was outraged. They claimed Democrats are “struggling with their messaging.”

But are we? Let’s take a big, greasy bite out of this spicy debate…

Why Tacos Hurt Trump’s Feelings

Now, to be fair, T.A.C.O. doesn’t sound all that threatening. It sounds delicious. A perfect first date. A perfect last meal. A perfect hinge between regrettable tequila shots. Everyone loves tacos. That’s why every dating profile features a girl smiling in a floppy hat holding one, like it’s the Holy Grail wrapped in foil. Tacos are democracy in edible form — bite-sized, messy, adaptable. They’re the one thing all Americans agree on. For now.

So why did it get under Trump’s famously thin, fake-baked skin?

Political pundits immediately theorized that the T.A.C.O. acronym bothered Trump because it assaulted his business acumen by implying that he has failed to uphold international trade policy frameworks and undermined America’s global position.

Oh, Democrats. You silly intellectualizing fools. Take it down a notch.

Sure, the T.A.C.O. meme suggests that Trump’s dealmaking is as sturdy as an overstuffed taco shell, but that’s not the real reason why Trump suddenly hates jalapeños.

A taco isn’t just food. It’s slang. For something else. Something MAGA incels don’t get enough of.

A taco is slang for a woman’s vulva. Duh.

A pink taco. A velvet taco. 🌮 Emoji. Not just your lunch plans. It’s a whole anatomical wink. And a scrumptious one.

Which means, in not-so-subtle terms, the acronym T.A.C.O. is calling Trump a pussy. Both metaphorically — and, depending on how much internet slang you’ve consumed — literally.

Go ahead and accuse me of having too much sex on the brain (guilty), but I am not the only one who got the double entendre. According to the ancient, scholarly texts of Urban Dictionary, a “Pink Taco” is slang for a woman’s external genitalia because it resembles the folds in a tortilla. (Clearly, the writers of Urban Dictionary don’t have one.)

Pink Taco is so offensive to some (Read: the bible thumping, fig leaf wearers) that when Las Vegas restaurant chain Pink Taco tried to expand to Scottsdale, Arizona, the city’s mayor objected to the impropriety. (The restaurant’s owner, Lisa Perez, claims the name comes from one of its menu items. Sure. Sure.)

Why Trump “loves the Hispanics” but hates tacos

Historically, calling a man a “chicken” smarts, but only if you are thirteen. But calling a man a pussy— especially a taco-adjacent one — is the ultimate insult in macho culture. Pussy equals weakness. Vulva equals soft. It’s the lowest blow in the locker room hierarchy, the final insult before punches get thrown and someone calls their mom.

And Trump? Trump has staked his entire political career on not being that guy. He doesn’t just trade on being pretend rich or famous — he trades on being the toughest guy in the room, the alpha, the guy who grabs tacos, not becomes one.

It’s the kind of association that, to a man with fragile masculinity, feels like being pantsed on the world stage. Trump, the self-declared ultimate tough guy, the grabber of all things feminine, is now being subtly (and deliciously) labeled a giant tortilla-shaped body part.

It’s poetic irony at its finest. We have gone from “grab them by the pussy” to “I am the pussy.”

A true hero’s journey, if the hero were a Cheeto-flavored Hindenburg.

How to Beef Up the Taco Meme

Democrats are already grabbing this one by the taco. On Tuesday (of course), a taco truck will serve free tacos outside the Republican National Committee’s DC headquarters.

Delicious.

But not enough! Let’s give this taco some heat with a few more.

Restaurants can serve a “Tremendous TACO Supreme”

Launch a taco so bloated it barely fits in your tiny hands. But every ingredient is orange. Orange cheddar. Orange bell peppers. Shredded carrots. Cheeto dust garnish. Served in an oversized, limp, orange-tinted taco shell that cracks under the lightest pressure, just like the man himself. Other menu items could include: The Bigly Burrito, The Covfefe Quesadilla, or my favorite, the Mushroom Cap Fajitas. You could even cut costs by using mystery meat like Trump Steaks.

The TACO Tax Proposal

Every time Trump proposes a tariff or another “Big, Beautiful” whatever, rebrand it as The TACO Tax. It might even inspire Musk to impregnate another porn star.

National Taco Day Rebrand: T.A.C.O. Day

Declare October 4th not just National Taco Day, but National Trump Always Chickens Out Day. Organize parades with giant inflatable tacos waddling down Pennsylvania Avenue. Hand out tacos shaped like ballots to celebrate the elections Trump tried — and failed — to overturn.

Make America Taco Again

The merch possibilities are endless. Remember those pink pussy hats? Lame. I would much rather wear a giant taco on my head. Better yet, put tacos on everything —T-shirts, bumper stickers, crotchless underwear, cat sweaters with slogans like, “Immigrants eat tacos, not your pets.”

The Tremendous National Taco Eating Contest

The Fourth of July has Nathan’s Hot Dog Eating Contest, a stunning display of gluttony and shame. It’s time for The Great American Taco-In. Contestants scarf down tacos until they too crumble under the weight of their own poor choices — a perfect metaphor for supply-side economics.

Nacho Average Messaging

I recently heard a liberal talking head claim that Democrats will win the primaries if they focus on economic policies.

I wanted to smack him with my taco.

Here’s the problem: If you’re explaining, you’re losing. Trump rarely explains. He asserts.

Democrats — law professors at heart — think that if they just lay out the facts clearly enough, voters will nod thoughtfully and agree.

Meanwhile, Trump just shouts something emotionally satisfying and moves on. Trump’s messaging is simple. He sells identity, not policy. He doesn’t offer any plans. He offers membership in a tribe. Voting for Trump is less about tax codes and more about signaling who you are: tough, anti-elite, patriotic (even if it’s a Waffle House version of patriotism).

Everything he says is meant to grab headlines, even if it’s insane or false. He doesn’t try to explain policy; he paints villains and heroes in broad, crayon strokes. And similar to every authoritarian, he uses repetition (“fake news,” “radical left lunatics”) so the phrases stick like Musk’s ketamine addiction.

For example, “Build the wall” is emotionally simple — security, strength, protection. A Democratic slogan like “comprehensive immigration reform with a path to citizenship” might be accurate, but it sounds like an assignment from your college ethics class. Trump taps into feelings — fear, pride, anger. Democrats try to tap into logic, which is noble, but not great at getting people to the polls.

When They Go Low, We Eat Tacos

Trump is also a master of weaponizing sophomoric insults. Petty, yes — but effective. Nicknames like “Crooked Hillary,” “Little Marco,” or “Sleepy Joe” are childish… and weirdly sticky. They work like high school bullying — catchy, easy to repeat, instantly emotional.

Democrats, meanwhile, often come off as scolds or killjoys. Instead of just going for the jugular, they pontificate on why something is wrong.

Now, some will argue this kind of name-calling is petty. Juvenile. Beneath us. But the TACO meme is brilliant because it is about something much spicier.

Trump doesn’t just represent toxic masculinity — he represents limited masculinity. A manhood so brittle, so shallow, it can’t withstand a joke, a woman in power, or a taco-related double entendre.

Real masculinity — real bravery — is about owning your mistakes. Apologizing when you’re wrong. Admitting tariffs are a limp, greasy, questionable meat mistake with even more questionable logic.

A real man doesn’t puff up and scream “nasty!” when someone calls him out. A real man picks up the taco, takes a bite, and moves on.

Trump could be that man. But instead, he’s busy circling the drain of macho insecurity like a sad, spicy Doritos Locos shell waiting to crack under pressure.

🌮🌮🌮🌮🌮

Carlyn Beccia is an award-winning author and illustrator of 13 books. Subscribe to Conversations with Carlyn for free content every Wednesday, or become a paid subscriber to get the juicy stuff on Sundays.