While changes in presidential administrations are generally marked by significant policy differences, some of the more stark and noticeable changes right away are the ones we can see right in front of us: the decor.
To be sure, President Joe Biden has put his mark on the Oval Office already , making quite a few noteworthy changes to the artwork on display. But for presidential observers, one of the surest signs of the transition from the old administration to the new comes from a notable absence.
As a few intrepid reporters on the White House beat shared on Twitter, former president Donald Trump’s beloved Diet Coke button is gone.
Tom Newton Dunn, who works with Times Radio and interviewed Trump during his tenure in the Oval Office, noted the button’s absence for his followers and explained that he had once been obsessed with what it did.
“Eventually Trump pressed it, and a butler swiftly brought in a Diet Coke on a silver platter. It’s gone now.”
Trump’s love affair with Diet Coke is well-documented.
The former president is said to drink as many as 12 cans a day, and he was so fond of the Diet Coke button on the Resolute Desk that he showed it off to a group of reporters with the Associated Press and Financial Times back in 2017.
And, as Newton Dunn shared, it’s gone from the desk now.
It’s worth noting that the little red button on the Resolute Desk didn’t have to be used to summon up a fresh beverage.
As Business Insider reported , Barack Obama had the same button as well, although he reportedly used it more generally, simply to alert an aide when necessary. Indeed, presidents have used that red button for a variety of purposes for decades.
It’s not clear if the button has simply been re-located or if it’s gone altogether.
You have to imagine that at some point, President Biden will have a reason to need an aide, at which point the button would be quite convenient.
But pictures have not shown it on the Resolute Desk in Biden’s Oval Office so far, so its whereabouts remain unknown.
Former president Trump’s use of the button specifically for Diet Coke came as a shock to many online.
That the president would have a dedicated Diet Coke button blew a lot of minds out there.
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“why am i just now finding out that mf had a DIET COKE BUTTON????” one person wrote .
“I’m sorry the red button brought WHAT,” someone else wrote .
“I still can’t believe that the Diet Coke button is real,” wrote another.
And naturally, folks had some fun with the idea, as they will.
“Biden getting rid of the Diet Coke button in the oval office shows that he has zero interest in ‘reaching out’ or ‘healing division,'” one person wrote .
“Whoever swapped the nuke button for a diet coke button deserves a medal,” quipped another.
Many also came out in favor of having a Diet Coke button of their own.
“I very much want a Diet Coke button, it’s the only part of being President that seems appealing,” wrote one person.
“I’m gonna be honest here: I would absolutely install a Summon A Diet Coke Button if I had the ability to do so,” another person shared .
“If you tell me that as the president you wouldn’t have a button on your desk to instantly bring your favorite drink I’m just going to assume you’re an alien lizard person,” someone else wrote .
And there were lots of other ideas for what to summon at the press of a button, too.
“Say what you want about trump but [that] was genius. I would have added at least 3 more buttons for pizza, Cinnabon and albondigas if I’m not feeling good,” one person wrote .
“omg Joe I need you to dream a little bit bigger. It could have been an ice cream button,” wrote another person.
What do you think? What would you use that button for? Let us know in the comments!
