Thereβs trolling, and then thereβs whatever happened on Truth Social this week. President Donald Trump, now 79 and staring down the barrel of another election cycle, didnβt just pick a fight with his political opponents β he decided to wage war on drivers who honk at old people.
Early one morning, before many Americans had even booted up their phones, Trump shared a video that looked like it was ripped from a lateβnight Reddit meme thread more than a presidential feed: an elderly man recounting how he handled a rude honk from the car behind him at a fastβfood driveβthrough.
The story had the classic twisty angle of internet folklore β pay for the other personβs meal, then quietly claim it under your own receipt β and Trump doubled down by sharing it twice on Truth Social. As Trump told his followers, βItβs incredible how people respect their elders these daysβ¦ we must always honor them.β.
If youβre wondering how a driveβthru revenge clip became presidential content, youβre not alone. The video resonated with Trump not because it was insightful or newsworthy, but because it tapped into something absurdly specific: respect for the elderly and, by extension, a broader riff on his own message about dignity and tradition.
He backed this up with AIβgenerated commentary on X, blurring the lines between genuine engagement and algorithmic echo chambers. βIβm sharing this because itβs about decency, about standing up for whatβs right,β Trump said in a post accompanying the video.
Donβt honk your horn at me. π€£
I have extra money to spend and nowhere I need to be! π«Ά
This is absolutely something I would do. π€£
~however, I would give the extra food to someone who needed it. pic.twitter.com/ti4omI4qrB
β CeCe (@cecegkh) February 1, 2026
This episode isnβt out of character. Trumpβs social media accounts have been a breeding ground for outlandish content for years β from bizarre memes to random rants that defy context. But the fact that a story about honking etiquette made it onto the official presidential feed is notable in itself.
Critics argue this sort of posting spree does more harm than good. Political opponents and some journalists see it as symptomatic of a leadership style that prioritizes distraction over substance. They point out that when leaders pivot to random anecdotes β even ones about courteous driveβthru revenge β they risk trivializing serious national issues like economic policy or foreign affairs.
Of course, Trumpβs supporters donβt see it that way. For them, sharing content that celebrates a clever elderly man getting even with a hornβhappy driver signals something deeper β a championing of common sense, oldβschool values, and a kind of streetβlevel justice that never makes it into Washingtonβs press releases. Whether thatβs genuine enthusiasm or strategic spectacle is a debate thatβs only going to get louder.
Presidents once used televised speeches to shape public conversation; today itβs videos of driveβthrough microβdramas, frenzied social media posting spree and viral AI commentary. Thatβs where attention lives, and thatβs where influence is now contested.
Featured image courtesy of Getty Images/Jabin Botsford
