Donald Trump displayed a custom red hat bearing the word "VETO" on the Resolute Desk in the Oval Office on Thursday, an act that quickly drew ridicule and criticism on social media. The display occurred during a ceremony where Trump designated the Oval Office and Cabinet Room as a national monument.
The stunt followed recent midterm election results where Republicans lost control of both the House and Senate, leading Trump to threaten the use of his veto power against a Democratic-controlled Congress. The White House shared a photo of the hat on X, with Trump blurred in the background, accompanied by shushing face and eyes emojis.
Online critics responded by editing the image to replace "VETO" with terms such as "impeachment," "loser," and "lame duck." Many users dismissed the hat as a "lame-duck souvenir" and "a spectacular display of unhinged nonsense."
One X user, Alex Cole, commented, "Nothing says ‘I'm listening to American voters’ like announcing your intention to fight the Congress they just elected. The funniest part is that Trump thinks a VETO hat is a flex. It's practically a lame-duck souvenir." Senator Elizabeth Warren also weighed in, suggesting, "If Donald Trump wants to be Mr. Veto, let’s test that out. The new Democratic majority in Congress should pass bills to make life more affordable and our government less corrupt."
Other reactions included calls to action, such as one user suggesting specific bills be passed to test his veto threat, including repealing tariffs, restoring Medicaid funding, banning congressional stock trading, raising taxes on billionaires, and ending the war with Iran. Another user stated, "You fucking morons learned absolutely nothing from the midterms."