In a tweet on Sunday, the president thanked himself for falling oil prices, tax cuts, and the general state of the economy. But in the process, Trump also nicknamed himself "President T," prompting Twitter users far and wide to roast him.
"So great that oil prices are falling (thank you President T)," Trump tweeted on Sunday. "Add that, which is like a big Tax Cut, to our other good Economic news. Inflation down (are you listening Fed)!"
The president, known for nicknaming other people — and generally those he disagrees with — has not assumed the name "President T" in the past. Political commentators, reporters, and other onlookers snapped to attention to share pithy jokes and puns shortly after Trump sent out his self-congratulatory tweet.
"President T?" mused one user. "More like President Tee, because all he does is golf."
Many drew comparisons between the nickname "President T" and the musician known as "Ice-T." Still more drew comparisons between Trump's nickname and the retired professional wrestler known as "Mr. T." ("The only 'president T' that *I* recognize," tweeted one user, sharing a photo of the former wrestler who also starred in the Rocky franchise.) Others, however, suggested that the nickname wasn't as innocuous as others would have you believe.
"Trump giving himself the friendly nickname 'President T' makes me deeply uncomfortable," wrote one user. "Like he’s trying to cast himself in the role of the good dad all of the neighborhood kids love in a 1950’s TV show."
Some folks were particularly harsh in their roastings. "There’s about an 80% chance he called himself 'President T' because he forgot how to spell the rest of his own name," tweeted one user.
A few others pointedly used the new nickname to contest the president's claims that the economy is actually doing very well. "President T... [gas] prices were around $2 a gallon when [he] was elected, and the falling prices are mostly a result of global recession fears, and consumption projections not meeting global output, and OPEC will probably cut production by 1 million barrels a day on Dec 6th," wrote one user.
It wasn't clear whether the president was thanking himself for the state of the economy, or whether he was suggesting that others should be thanking him. One user, however, played on the idea that Trump was instructing others to be grateful, and made an Annie reference along the way. "'Thank you President T' is required to be said like 'We love you, Miss Hannigan,' right?" she wrote.
Others were a bit more biting in their responses. "Tariffs are also taxes on Americans that President T could cut if he wanted to," wrote one user.
According to some tweets, the president's attempt to give himself a nickname was a bit confusing — because they thought he was nicknaming someone else. "I was trying to figure out which President was 'President T' and cross-referencing in my head leaders of countries that produce substantial amounts of oil and then I realized he was parenthetically thanking himself," wrote one user.
Whether or not the new presidential nickname will stick wasn't clear on Sunday afternoon. But the president has a reputation for doing his own thing, even in the face of criticism, so as with most else, it's truly a wait and see.
