Dwain Northey (Gen X)

It’s almost poetic—and undeniably hilarious—that Wall Street has started calling Trump “Taco” in light of his tariff-fueled stock market antics. The nickname, equal parts absurd and on-the-nose, stems from a pattern that’s become all too familiar: Trump teases tariffs (often against Mexico), spooks the markets, then walks it back just in time to benefit from the bounce. It’s as if the former president discovered a recipe for market volatility and decided to cook up some spicy profits—hence, the “Taco.”

Traders and analysts, never ones to miss a meme-worthy moment, have latched onto the name with a mix of cynicism and amusement. The humor lies in the absurd juxtaposition: a complex global economic system being toyed with like a fast-food order. It’s slapstick economics—a burrito of bluster wrapped in speculation and served with a side of populist seasoning.

Even funnier is how the markets, typically ruled by numbers and risk models, have to factor in the whims of one man tweeting about avocados. The nickname “Taco” mocks the performative nature of it all, suggesting that behind the bluster lies a carnival barker who knows just how to jiggle the market for maximum reaction. It’s Wall Street’s version of gallows humor—and it’s spicy.