Joe Biden has wasted no time in making the Oval Office his own. He’s chosen different furniture from the White House collection, switched out the busts of famous people – including Winston Churchill – and replaced the oval rug. But Biden has made an interesting choice of reportedly removing something from the office that President Trump found essential.
The change was first spotted by a reporter at The UK Sunday Times Radio, who noticed that the red button previously gracing the same Resolute Desk used by President Trump is now … missing.
There was a sense of surprise that the “fascinating” and mysterious button no longer sits on the most famous desk, used by the most famous leaders, in the most famous office in America, if not the world.
Was it pressed to launch nukes? Of course not. Was it there to press, like the queen does in The Crown, to get her aide to yank out the guest she’s bored with? No. Call his wife? Nope.
The Times’s Tom Dunn reported that he and a colleague from The Washington Post wondered what the button was used for as they interviewed the president of the United States of America. Their recorders and phones are right there on the famous desk taking in every word uttered by the leader of the free world.
Their recorders were perilously close to the red button.
But Dunn expressed surprise on Twitter that Biden had removed the button – the very button that he and Sunday Times colleague Tim Shipman saw Trump push during their interview with the 45th president.
Seconds after pushing the button during their 2019 interview, Dunn reported that a “butler” appeared in the Oval Office holding a silver tray upon which rested the very thing the president beckoned.
A Diet Coke.
Trump, who is a notoriously light sleeper – sleeping only four to five hours a night – called for a cool pick-me-up.
Time Magazine verified the existence of the desktop red button used for Diet Coke.
Seeing this on the social media site that has canceled Trump and other conservatives, some enterprising Americans believe they know what President Biden will replace the button with.
President Biden has removed the Diet Coke button. When @ShippersUnbound and I interviewed Donald Trump in 2019, we became fascinated by what the little red button did. Eventually Trump pressed it, and a butler swiftly brought in a Diet Coke on a silver platter. It’s gone now. pic.twitter.com/rFzhPaHYjk
— Tom Newton Dunn (@tnewtondunn) January 21, 2021
Of course, this being Twitter and all, ideas for what Biden would do with a similar button came pouring in.
This man believed Biden would use such a button to call the “I’ve fallen and I can’t get up” people.
To be replaced by a caregiver call button.
— CPierceUK (@CPierceUK) January 21, 2021
This man believes Biden should replace it with some food options best suited for his elderly system.
He replaced it with two new buttons….one for creamed prunes and another for applesauce.
— R.W._McFreeman_III (@RyFreems) January 21, 2021
Another suggested that the all-American Diet Coke and friend of America, Winston Churchill, being removed at the same time had a nefarious backstory.
Coca-Cola and Churchill dumped.
— Robert Corbishley (@robcorb) January 21, 2021
Hugh Hefner had a red button. Coincidence?
Hugh Hefner had one at the mansion…..while we were having lunch …he used it and the butler came out….not unusual… pic.twitter.com/qY4VHBfLV7
— Suzan (@SuddenlySuzan) January 22, 2021
Dunn reports that President Trump pushed the button for them, too.
He got the first one, then asked us if we’d like one too. We said yes please.
— Tom Newton Dunn (@tnewtondunn) January 21, 2021
Could Biden replace the button with one to call his and his son’s reported “red Chinese” business partners in the Chinese communist party?
The world is watching.
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— Stuart Corbett (@TheSJC) January 22, 2021