This is an opinion column

Donald Trump’s ability to market and brand himself and others is his greatest political strength. Trump is simply the most effective politician I’ve ever seen at using insulting nicknames that brand, degrade and ridicule political foes and turn winnable races into losing ones.

Jeb Bush was “Low Energy Jeb.” Marco Rubio was “Little Marco” (with related unkind sexual implications). Ted Cruz was “Lyin’ Ted.” All lost to Trump’s branding in the 2016 GOP primary.

Hillary Clinton was “Crooked Hillary,” “Crazy Hillary” and “Lyin’ Hillary” … and a 2016 loser to Trump. Joe Biden was “Sleepy Joe” in 2020 and “Crooked Joe” in 2024 (a nickname that hurt Biden’s polling so bad it helped knock Biden out of the race).

Trump Vice-President Mike Pence became “Liddle Mike Pence” (after Pence refused to break the law and his oath to the Constitution by unilaterally declaring Trump the 2020 election winner over Biden). Pence has run for nothing since.

Ron DeSantis was ”Ron DeSanctimonious” and “Ron DeSanctus,” before becoming yet another Trump 2024 road kill. Kamala Harris was “Comrade Kamala,” “Laffin’ Kamala Harris,” and “Crazy Kamala” … and lost to Trump.

Want more? Wikipedia has a long list of Trump’s insulting nicknames for numerous prominent Americans.

Trump can dish it out. But can he take it? We may be about to find out.

Enter Wall Street, the stock market, and TACOs.

Wall Street experts profit from predicting market movements.

When Trump orders large tariff tax increases on foreign goods and American citizens, the stock market drops. When Trump flip-flops and cuts back on his tariff tax increases, the stock market rises.

Wall Street traders discerned the Trump flip-flop trend, took advantage of it, and gave their investment strategy a name: “TACO Trading.”

TACO is an acronym for “Trump Always Chickens Out”.

The TACO Trade strategy has proven simple and profitable.

When Trump announces tariff tax increases, TACO investors wait for stocks to fall, and then buy at lower prices. They then hold the stock and wait.

 When Trump “Chickens Out” and reverses his tariff tax increases, stock prices go up, TACO investors sell at higher prices, and net a quick profit.

Smart. Profitable. Legal.

Another, even more lucrative “TACO Trade” is using insider advance notice of Trump tariff tax hikes and cuts to be a guaranteed winner.

Trump Secretary of Transportation Sean Duffy, a former star of MTV’s “The Real World”, sold between $90,000 and $650,000 in stocks “just before Trump’s February 13 announcement regarding ‘reciprocal’ tariffs that caused the markets to plunge.”

U.S. Attorney General “Pam Bondi sold between $1 million and $5 million in shares of Trump Media, the president’s social media company, on April 2, the same day Trump revealed the tariffs.”

While these appearances are troubling, investigations should reveal whether Duffy and Bondi stock trades were illegal insider trading or lawful good luck.

One thing is for sure. Trump is fearful and angry about Wall Street’s “TACO” nickname, as evidenced by a recent White House exchange:

CNBC reporter Megan Cassella: “Mr. President, Wall Street analysts have coined a new term called the TACO trade. They’re saying ‘Trump Always Chickens Out’ (TACO) on your tariff threats. And that’s why markets are higher this week. What’s your response to that?”

Trump: “Don’t ever say what you said. That’s a nasty question. To me, that’s the nastiest question.”

Trump, as a branding expert, well understands how the TACO nickname can hurt him if it sticks.

Democrats are giddy. They’ve long suffered under Trump branding of Democrat candidates. Democrats hope they have finally found a derogatory nickname for Trump that sticks and hurts.

There is reason for Democrats’ hope.

Tacos are yellowish/orange. So is Trump’s skin. Not a favorite Trump subject.

Tacos look good and taste great. But one beef taco (Who can eat just one?) has 7.2 grams of fat, 2.7 grams of saturated fat, 34 milligrams of cholesterol, and 236 milligrams of salt. Tacos look good but increase risks of strokes, heart attacks and heart disease. That’s not an image Trump wants.

The “Trump Always Chickens Out” TACO nickname reminds the public of Trump failures Trump prefers the public forget.

Remember Trump’s “you’re going to be tired of winning” 2016 campaign promise? Trump lost the House, Senate, and White House in 2018 & 2020. That’s not winning.

Remember Trump’s #1 2016 campaign promise to “build the wall and make Mexico pay for it”? Trump never even pushed a bill to “make Mexico pay for it.” The task was hard. Trump’s “chickening out” reinforces the TACO theme.

Remember Trump’s 2016 campaign promise to balance the budget and pay off the national debt “over a period of eight years”? Trump did the opposite of his promise by adding $6.3+ trillion to America’s debt (giving Trump the worst debt record of any 4-year presidential term in U.S. history . . . until Biden). The task was hard. Trump’s “chickening out” reinforces the TACO theme.

Even now, after boasting about often-times false DOGE spending cuts, Trump pushed legislation through Congress to increase America’s debt by $7.5 billion during his second term and $19.4 billion over the next decade.

Which begs a question. Why do we need even more dangerous American debt if the DOGE spending cuts are real and not overwhelmingly fake?

Wall Street’s TACO nickname reminds people of Trump’s failures, and Trump hates it. Which is why Democrats eagerly beat the TACO drum.

Some say Wall Street’s “TACO” nickname goes too far and disrespects the presidency.

Perhaps so.

But the liberal media and Democrats shouldn’t crow too much about Trump’s TACO nickname. After all, the 2024 scoreboard shows Commander TACO beating Comrade Kamala handily.

Mo Brooks served on the House Armed Services Committee for 12 years and the Foreign Affairs Committee for 6 years. Brooks graduated from Duke University in 3 years with a double major in political science and economics (highest honors in economics).