'Is It TACO Wednesday?' Democrat Lists Possible Reasons Why Trump Cancelled the Housing Bill — Including a Terminal Illness

A Democratic congressman sparked uproar in Washington on Wednesday by publicly floating a list of speculative reasons, including a possible terminal illness, for why Donald Trump abruptly cancelled the signing of a bipartisan housing bill. Representative Ted Lieu raised questions about the president's health after a highly publicised Capitol ceremony for the 21st Century ROAD to Housing Act was scrapped at short notice. With living costs a central concern for voters, the sudden halt to a major housing package left both parties demanding an explanation.

Speculation Over President's Health After Housing Bill Scrapped

Tensions escalated after both the House and the Senate passed the 21st Century ROAD to Housing Act earlier in the week. The legislation was designed to address rising inflation by expanding the national housing supply and lowering costs for families. Instead of marking a rare moment of cross-party agreement, the capital was taken by surprise when the president cancelled the signing ceremony via social media.

Trump explained his decision on Wednesday morning through a post on Truth Social, stating the event would be delayed indefinitely. 'Today's Housing News Conference and Signing is hereby cancelled until such time as we pass the desperately needed SAVE AMERICA ACT, which I consider to be a National Emergency. Thank you for your attention to this matter! President DJT.' The pivot to a separate voting integrity bill caught many off guard.

Lieu rejected the official explanation, using a press briefing to outline alternative theories. He noted that consumer prices were rising across the board. 'We have a bipartisan housing bill that both the Congress and Senate passed,' Lieu stated. 'There was supposed to be a big signing ceremony today in the Capitol, and all of a sudden, Donald Trump decides he's not coming to sign the bill.'

The California Democrat then leaned into personal criticism, asking whether the president had simply woken up in a bad mood or struggled to stay awake. 'What's causing him to chicken out again? Is it TACO Wednesday? Was it side effects of a new drug? We don't know,' Lieu said.

Democrat Cites Swelling, Weakness And Experimental Drug Report

Lieu went further, alleging that the administration was concealing wider health problems, and referred to what he claimed were visible issues. 'This erratic behavior of the president is very concerning. He has trouble staying awake at notable White House events and Cabinet meetings. He has clearly some weakness in one of his arms. He's got swelling in his hands,' Lieu said, calling for more transparency.

He then linked the row to a report about an unapproved medication. Lieu highlighted coverage of a 79-year-old patient who had been approved for an experimental Eli Lilly weight-loss drug named retatrutide. Not approved by the Food and Drug Administration, it can only be obtained under a compassionate use provision traditionally reserved for a terminal illness. Lieu pressed on, asking whether Trump had received the drug.

The timeline shows that the dispute over the president's health began before Lieu's remarks. A report by STAT News noted that while three anonymous sources confirmed a 79-year-old patient had been approved for the medication, the outlet could not confirm whether Trump was the recipient. Reporter Lizzy Lawrence raised the uncertainty, particularly as the president recently marked his 80th birthday, leaving a slight chronological mismatch.

White House Denies Rumours And Hits Back With Insults

The White House forcefully rejected the suggestion that the compassionate use application related to Trump. On Tuesday, White House senior deputy press secretary Kush Desai took to X to criticise the original reporting. 'Because this has to be spelled out for @LizzyLaw_, who has proven herself to be an unserious gossip columnist, this application was not for the President,' Desai wrote.

When Lieu repeated the terminal illness theory the following day, the response intensified. White House communications director Steven Cheung posted a strongly worded statement on X on Wednesday afternoon. 'Ted Lewd is a dumbass,' Cheung wrote, deliberately twisting the congressman's name. 'He probably spent hours laughing to himself thinking that peddling this lie would be funny. Sadly for Ted, there's no special new drug to cure being a b–ch.'

The language underlined the strained state of current relations between the two sides, with a debate over housing policy quickly turning into an argument over the president's medical records. With the housing bill now on hold, it remains unclear whether the focus will return to the legislation or stay on the personal dispute.