President Donald Trump faced a predictable taunt from thousands of social media users on Saturday after he lost his bid for reelection: You're Fired.
It's the catchphrase he used to kick off contestants when he hosted the reality show "The Apprentice" for years — a show that brought him pop-culture fame that helped boost his 2016 bid for president.
NBC cut ties with Trump in 2015 after he made "derogatory statements" about Mexican immigrants as he began his bid for president.
Media coverage of high turnover in his administration often invoked the phase, although, as the Associated Press noted in the year after Trump was elected, Trump often delegated the task of firing someone or publicly shamed those he wanted out, so they would simply quit.
As president in 2017, Trump invoked the catchphrase in a tweet saying football players who did not stand for the national Anthem should be told "YOU'RE FIRED."
While the catchphrase has faded in popularity in recent years, Trump's critics have not forgotten it:
#ByeByeTrump
"Donald Trump. You're fired"
-United States of América. pic.twitter.com/mPlrSD4h1Y— Tweet 1A (@Tweet1A) November 7, 2020
Hey @realDonaldTrump:
YOU’RE FIRED!!!— Zedd (@Zedd) November 7, 2020
Biden You’re Hired
Trump You’re Fired— JEDWARD (@planetjedward) November 7, 2020
Donald Trump,
Ivanka Trump,
Jared Kushner,
Hope Hicks,
Mark Meadows,
Mike Pence,
Kayleigh McEnany,
Betsy DeVos,
Ben Carson,
Stephen Miller,
Mike Pompeo,
Chad Wolf,
Jason Miller,
Steven Mnuchin,
William Barr,
Rudy Giuliani,
and Louis DeJoy
YOU’RE FIRED! #YOUREFIRED pic.twitter.com/xXJBjKwlfe— Teddy Pontin (@PontinTeddy) November 7, 2020
Wait what if we tweeted “YOU’RE FIRED” at Trump lol
— Brian Tyler Cohen (@briantylercohen) November 7, 2020
Cheers of “Trump! You’re! Fired!” break out in Times Square as thousands of New Yorkers celebrate the defeat of @realDonaldTrump pic.twitter.com/PNpduWybAb
— Liam Stack (@liamstack) November 7, 2020
America to Trump: "YOU’RE FIRED!” pic.twitter.com/5B882CMX7V
— Shashi Tharoor (@ShashiTharoor) November 7, 2020
Contributing: The Associated Press
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: 'You're fired': Thousands taunt Trump with 'Apprentice' catchphrase