DNC’s “TACO” truck trolling Trump’s tariffs draws ridicule from GOP figures and online critics for poor messaging.

DNC’s TACO Truck Sparks Online and Political Blowback

The Democratic National Committee ignited controversy this week after parking a custom-wrapped taco truck outside Republican National Committee headquarters in Washington, D.C., attempting to troll President Donald Trump over his tariff policies.

The vehicle prominently featured the acronym TACO—short for “Trump Always Chickens Out”—a phrase borrowed from Wall Street analysts skeptical of Trump’s commitment to recently announced reciprocal tariffs. The DNC said the truck symbolized their belief that Trump would retreat from his aggressive tariff strategy. “Trump always chickens out. We’re just bringing the tacos to match,” said DNC Chair Ken Martin.

Despite the DNC’s intention to provoke a reaction, the stunt backfired among conservatives and drew widespread derision online. Critics labeled the effort tone-deaf and ineffective, questioning the Democrats’ broader messaging approach.

“The party that brought you the hugely successful ‘Dark Brandon’ and ‘Republicans are Weird’ campaigns are now going all in on ‘TACO,’” journalist Chuck Ross posted on X. Vice President JD Vance responded more bluntly, declaring, “We have the lamest opposition in American history.”

Republicans Call Stunt Misguided and Embarrassing

Republican officials seized on the event to mock their political opponents. Christian Martinez, Western Regional and National Hispanic press secretary, commented that Democrats are relying on “cheap gimmicks, free handouts,” and speculated that taxpayers might end up paying for the stunt.

NRCC spokesman Mike Marinella criticized not only the content of the event but its execution, noting that the DNC mistakenly parked the truck outside a nearby church instead of the RNC’s actual headquarters. “Looks like the Democrats took a break from fighting amongst themselves to stage a pathetic stunt,” Marinella said. “The most embarrassing part? They couldn’t even get the location right. You can’t fix stupid.”

Further commentary came from Zach Parkinson, RNC communications director, who reacted with disbelief: “A taco truck? Are they going to be giving out free vasectomies again, too? These people are morons. No wonder Democrats’ approval rating is at a historic low.”

In response, the DNC’s Deputy Communications Director Abhi Rahman directed his fire at Vice President Vance, calling him the “cringiest VP in American history.” Rahman also took aim at Republican budget cuts, accusing Vance of targeting food assistance for millions of Americans. “He prefers to take food away from people, including 40 million Americans whose SNAP benefits were just scrapped in the GOP budget,” Rahman said.

The stunt was preceded by another attempt at satire earlier in the week, when Representative Eric Swalwell posted a TikTok video of himself eating a taco to mock Trump’s tariff strategy. That effort was similarly criticized by conservative commentators, who described the post as “cringeworthy.”

With public reception split and Republican responses resoundingly negative, the DNC’s taco truck gambit may end up reinforcing the very criticisms it sought to challenge. The incident underscores the volatility of political messaging in a digital age where theatrics can backfire just as quickly as they go viral.