President Donald Trump is once again the center of attention on social media, but this time his comments or statement were not about a person, but pens. During a cabinet meeting, the U.S. president spent nearly five minutes talking about Sharpie pens, a topic which quickly overshadowed the actual purpose- policy discussion – and sparked backlash online.
Trump’s remarks about Sharpie pens came amid a broader conversation about government spending, where he tried to argue that cheaper commodities can sometimes be better. However, instead of staying on the topic, he quickly turned into a storyteller, weaving a story about pens. He compared his inexpensive Sharpie markers to $1000 luxury pens, which were previously used for official signings.
Trump: You see this pen right here? This pen is very inexpensive. But it writes well. I like it. Sharpie. I came here. They had $1,000 pens. You hand out pens. You hand them to people. 30, 40 people. They were $1,000 a piece. Beautiful pen, ball point. I hand out to kids that… pic.twitter.com/mrEXypiA0o
— Acyn (@Acyn) March 26, 2026
“See this pen right here? This pen is an interesting example. It’s the same thing. So, this pen is very inexpensive, but it writes well. I like it. But I can’t have the pen the way it was. You know what it is. I don’t want to give too much publicity, but they do treat me well. Sharpie,” he said.
He continued: “So I came here. They have $1000 pens. And you know, you hand pens out. You’re signing, and you’re handing them out. You’re handing them to all these people. Sometimes you have 30, 40 people. And they were $1,000 a piece. Beautiful pen. Ballpoint. Thousand. It was gold, silver, gorgeous. But I’m handing out to kids that don’t even know what they are. ‘What is this, mommy?’ It’s kids. They’re getting a pen for $1,000. They have no idea what it is. And I feel guilty because I’m like, you know, I’m by nature. I don’t, you know, it’s the government. I love the government. Like, I love myself economically. I want to save money.”
His speech about the Sharpie pens went on for several more minutes, which certainly grabbed people’s attention. During his lengthy commentary, Trump condemned costly government spending, saying expensive pens often failed to work.
Additionally, he claimed he contacted the company to request a modified version of the marker. According to The Huffpost, the company, in return, offered to customize the design and provide pens for free. However, he insisted on paying, settling on about five dollars.
I’m beginning to think he blathers on to keep himself awake
— Gigi 😏 (@Gigisaysthis1) March 26, 2026
Nevertheless, his love for the Sharpie pens quickly went viral on social media, especially on X (formerly Twitter). One user wrote, “I’m beginning to think he blathers on to keep himself awake.” Meanwhile, another user wrote, “No ink in the pen, no water in the faucet, no water in the dishwasher, non-flushing toilets. Grandpa has a lot on his plate to fix.”
On the contrary, supporters argued that Trump was making a fair point by discussing wasteful spending and used a relatable example to do so.
