Trump installed a red button on his desk — to push when he wants a Coke

(Image credit: Joe Raedle/Getty Images)

published 26 April 2017

There is actually a red button on the president's Oval Office desk, but contrary to any Cold War movie you've ever seen, it does not immediately launch America's arsenal of nukes. In fact, President Trump presses it all the time — whenever he wants a Coke.

A man accustomed to wealth and its trappings, Trump has embraced life in the Executive Mansion, often regaling guests with trivia about the historic decor. With the push of a red button placed on the Resolute Desk that presidents have used for decades, a White House butler soon arrived with a Coke for the president. [The Associated Press]

Bloomberg Businessweek's Joshua Green points out that this is, at least, more polite than the alternative:

Besides being a big fan of Coke (but not Diet Coke!), Trump has a few similarities with the bubbly beverage himself. Read about how Trump could wind up the "New Coke" of presidents here at The Week.

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Jeva Lange was the executive editor at TheWeek.com. She formerly served as The Week's deputy editor and culture critic. She is also a contributor to Screen Slate, and her writing has appeared in The New York Daily News, The Awl, Vice, and Gothamist, among other publications. Jeva lives in New York City. Follow her on Twitter.