Trump Shuts Down CNBC Reporter’s ‘Chicken TACO’ Question with a Powerful Rebuke [WATCH]

President Donald Trump pushed back strongly Wednesday after being questioned about a term circulating among Wall Street analysts and media figures that suggests he often backs down from his aggressive tariff threats.

During a press briefing, CNBC reporter Megan Cassella asked the president to respond to a term coined by Financial Times columnist Robert Armstrong: “TACO,” which stands for “Trump Always Chickens Out.”

The phrase has gained traction among traders who argue that Trump’s pattern of announcing large tariffs and later reversing course has become predictable.

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The president, visibly agitated by the question, rejected the premise and criticized the reporter directly.

“Don’t ever say what you said,” Trump said.

“That’s a nasty question. To me, that’s the nastiest question.”

Trump initially appeared to mishear the term, asking if she said “kicked out,” but quickly turned to defending his trade strategy.

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He cited examples where tariff threats prompted other nations to make concessions.

“I’ve never heard that—you mean because I reduced China from 145 percent that I set, down to 100 and then down to another number. And I said, you have to open up your whole country?” Trump said.

He also referenced negotiations with the European Union, claiming his proposed 50 percent tariff resulted in immediate outreach from EU leaders.

“I gave the European Union a 50 percent tax—tariff—and they called up and they said, ‘Please, let’s meet right now.’ And I said, ‘Okay, I’ll give you till June 9.’”

Trump said an agreement was reached to meet by July 9 and framed the developments as successful negotiations, not capitulations.

“You call that chickening out? Because we have $14 trillion now invested, committed to investing. When Biden didn’t have practically anything.”

Trump continued to defend his strategy, calling it a form of deal-making and negotiation.

“This country was dying. You know, we have the hottest country anywhere in the world. Six months ago, this country was stone cold, dead,” he said.

“It’s called negotiation. You set a number… I go down a little bit. They want me to hold that number, 145 percent tariff even. I said man, that really got up.”

WATCH: Trump just hit a home run with his response to a reporter’s snarky question.

Reporter: “Wall Street analysts have a new term called the TACO trade.. Saying ‘Trump Always Chickens Out on tariffs’”

Trump: “You call that chickening out? Because we have $14 trillion now… pic.twitter.com/Ld5Y6RCdjf

— George (@BehizyTweets) May 28, 2025

The TACO acronym emerged after recent market reactions to Trump’s policy announcements.

On Friday, Trump proposed a 50 percent tariff on the European Union, leading the S&P 500 to drop by 0.67 percent.

By Sunday, following a call with European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, Trump announced a pause. When markets reopened Tuesday, the Dow rose by over 700 points.

A similar scenario unfolded in early April, when Trump announced “Liberation Day” tariffs, only to delay them by 90 days following market backlash.

In his column, Armstrong wrote, “This is the TACO theory: Trump Always Chickens Out.”

He argued that investors have learned the administration typically retreats when market pressure intensifies.

The term has spread beyond financial circles. MSNBC’s Lawrence O’Donnell aired a graphic with the acronym, and parody accounts posted images of Trump wearing a sombrero.

Critics also referenced the inflatable chicken displayed near the White House in 2017, which they claim symbolizes the same theme.

University of Michigan economist Justin Wolfers joined the commentary, joking that Trump’s tariff policy “nearly lasted one entire long weekend.”

Despite the label and the market’s reaction pattern, Trump maintained his position, emphasizing that his administration’s trade policies are producing results and leading to new investment commitments.

“They haven’t treated our country properly,” Trump wrote Friday on Truth Social.

“They banded together to take advantage of us.”

The phrase “TACO trade” has now entered market parlance as analysts and traders continue to monitor how the administration balances economic pressure and negotiation in its ongoing trade policy.

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