Donald J Trump: Salsa, not Taco

First Post

2 days ago

Speaking at the Hague, US President Donald Trump said that progress was being made to end the Israel-Hamas war in Gaza. Reuters
After President Donald J Trump ordered US B2 bombers to destroy Iranian nuclear facilities using 30,000-pound GBU-57 bunker buster bombs, it would be difficult to poke him with the TACO jibe. For those still not in the know, TACO stands for 'Trump always chickens out,' reportedly coined by Financial Times journalist Robert Armstrong. When, three weeks back, a CNN reporter hurled the TACO accusation at him, Trump said it was a 'very negative question' and that what Wall Street called 'chickening out' was actually negotiation.
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Be that as it may, the TACO meme went viral. As to who liked Trump to Salsa, I think the credit should go to an episode description I saw on PGurus in a conversation between Sree Iyer and Sridhar Chityala. I don't think they developed the metaphor, though.
By now TACO seems to have been comprehensively falsified, even if the anti-Trump establishment has already started its propaganda that the strikes were not effective. Let us acknowledge that while it is easy to poke fun at Trump, his actions have proved that he is a very gutsy individual in addition to being a decisive president. Let's not forget his response to the assassination attempt during the heat of his campaign when he got back to his feet, raised his fist and said, 'Fight, fight, fight.' I agree that he loves to shoot his mouth off, especially when he has the media, and via the media, the world as his stage. But that doesn't mean that he talks nonsense all the time or that he doesn't know what he is about or trying to accomplish.
Instead, I would argue that his actions prove that he is the boldest American president in recent decades. Now, salsa, also part of the Mexican cuisine so popular in the US and all over the world, which does much to spice up a bland taco, may not function as an acronym. But its spicy and memorable taste is more akin to Trump's presidency, which is as unforgettable as it is exciting. Never a dull moment and certainly zesty all the way.
Hence, the quip 'Trump always chickens out,' now sounds and lands like a cheap shot, a lazy caricature hurled by critics who underestimated the US president's resolve.
The bombing of Iran sent shockwaves through global geopolitics. As did the Trump engineered ceasefire. Again, critics may carp, 'It has already been violated. By both sides.' True. But ceasefires don't stop the bleeding like diarrhea pills plug loose motions. They take a while fully to take effect, with each side trying some last-minute strikes to smoothen over the wrinkles, so to speak, if not mop up some of the spillovers.
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For years, Iran's regime had poked and prodded, testing America's resolve through proxy militias and nuclear brinkmanship. Previous administrations, cautious, deliberative, and often paralysed by escalation concerns, had largely given Iran a free run of the middle east. With their surrogates and proxies such as Hamas, Hezbollah, Houthis, plus various bands of mercenaries swarming across Syria and Iraq, they had created a ring of fire encircling Israel. Even if the rest of the world didn't care, this was clearly an existential threat to the very existence of the only Jewish state in the world.
Worse, Iran's nuclear bomb-in-the-making was, to change metaphors, a thorn in the side of most other middle eastern states, including Saudi Arabia and UAE. Neither Russia, nor China were comfortable with the idea of nuclearised Iran and the middle east. The US position was that it would not, under any circumstances, permit Iran to build a bomb. Previous administrations under Joe Biden and Barrack Obama tried to buy peace by bribery or sanctions. But that was only kicking the can down the road. It is Trump who has bitten the bullet. Risking isolation and opprobrium not only from the other members of the G7 but also from the European Union.
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Where India stand in all this? The Indian 'right wing' commentariat, quite foolishly at times, called Trump names and painted him out to be untrustworthy, or worse, treacherous and cowardly. The US is, whether we like it or not, still a superpower. India is not.
Actually, geopolitics is much more complicated. The US economy is nearly eight times the size of India and China's five times. We shouldn't punch below our weight, true. But trying to punch above our weight is to pump fists in the air and look silly. We cannot afford to underestimate either the US or China. While Operation Sindoor was a grand success, we cannot rest on our laurels. We have to plan and prepare for the next confrontation. Our enemies are not going to take their worsting lying down. They are already reequipping themselves swiftly and surely.
India needs to play the hyperpower rivalry to its advantage rather than trying to take down the US president a notch or two through its 'B' team of social media influencers.
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Now, let's return to the 'salsa, not taco' metaphor. A taco is familiar, structured, even boring. A known quantity. Salsa, on the other hand, is unpredictable. It's the kick of jalapeño, the tang of lime, and a variable level of spice from the mild to the sizzling. Trump's presidency, similarly, is undeniably spicy, a whirlwind of controversy, charisma, and unrelenting energy.
His unfiltered communication style, willingness to upend decades of political orthodoxy, and penchant for chaos throws his opponents off balance and the public engaged, if not enraged.
Salsa doesn't apologise for its hotness; neither does Trump.
The writer is an author, columnist, and former Director, Indian Institute of Advanced Study. Views expressed in the above piece are personal and solely those of the author. They do not necessarily reflect Firstpost's views.