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But then Saban noticed something unusual sitting on Trump’s desk — a big, polished box with a red button on top. Curiosity immediately kicked in among the players.
“One of the players said, ‘Is that what you launch the missiles with?’” Saban recounted to roaring laughter.
Rather than dodging the question, Trump encouraged the young athletes to find out for themselves. “The player said, ‘No, I don’t want to do that.’ He said, ‘Oh go ahead, push it, see what happens, find out,’” Saban explained.
It took some time, but finally, Alabama linebacker Rashaan Evans mustered the courage to press the mysterious button.
“So [former Alabama linebacker] Rashaan Evans finally got the guts up, went over and pushed the red button,” Saban said. But instead of setting off any alarms, a White House staffer promptly appeared — carrying a Diet Coke on a tray.
The room erupted with laughter once everyone realized the button was merely Trump’s personal shortcut for satisfying his well-known love for Diet Coke. The President’s fondness for the soft drink is legendary, with reports suggesting he would consume up to 12 cans a day.
UFC CEO Dana White even once remarked he’s never seen Trump drink water, only Diet Coke.
The famous “Diet Coke button,” as it came to be known, became a quirky but beloved symbol of Trump’s first term.
When Joe Biden assumed the presidency, one of his first changes in the Oval Office was removing Trump’s famous red button. But with Trump’s triumphant return to the White House this January, the button has made its comeback.
The device, still housed inside a wooden box atop the historic Resolute Desk, once again serves as a light-hearted fixture in Trump’s Oval Office.
Trump himself admitted the button made for some amusing moments with visitors during his first term. In a 2017 interview with The Financial Times, he said, “Everyone does get a little nervous when I press that button.”
Cliff Sims, a former White House insider, offered more behind-the-scenes details in his 2019 book Team of Vipers. Sims described how Trump delighted in the reactions he’d provoke by randomly pressing the button. “Out of nowhere, he’d suddenly press the button,” Sims wrote. “Not sure what to do, guests would look at one another with raised eyebrows. Moments later, a steward would enter the room carrying a glass filled with Diet Coke on a silver platter, and Trump would burst out laughing.”
Even now, the simple push of a button continues to reflect Trump’s ability to entertain — and to keep everyone around him just a little on edge.
