Pressed the Red Button in the Oval Office—What Happened Next Left Everyone Laughing

A recent story from the White House has left people both startled and amused, all thanks to a mysterious red button on the President’s desk.

During a Republican dinner speech in Ohio, Vice President JD Vance shared a moment he experienced while meeting with President Trump in the Oval Office—a moment that briefly made him wonder if he’d just witnessed the start of a global crisis.

According to Vance, he and the President were on a call with a foreign leader when things started to get tense. Suddenly, Trump hit a red button on his desk. Vance, unsure what it meant, was visibly alarmed.

“My eyes get really big and I’m like, ‘Mr. President, what just happened?’” Vance recalled to the audience. Trump turned to him with a straight face and said just one word: “Nuclear.”

But before the panic could set in, a staff member entered the room—carrying a Diet Coke.

“That red button was just for soda!” Vance said, laughing. “Trump looks at me and says, ‘It wasn’t nuclear, it was a Diet Coke button.’”

The Famous Oval Office Button

The red button in question sits on the iconic Resolute Desk, which has been part of the White House since the 1800s. Over the years, the button has been used by various presidents for a variety of non-threatening (and very practical) reasons.

• President Lyndon B. Johnson reportedly had buttons for coffee, tea, Coke, and Fresca.

• Barack Obama is said to have used it to order tea.

• Joe Biden briefly removed the button during his presidency, but later brought it back—with rumors suggesting it was repurposed to call for ice cream.

And of course, Trump used it to call for his drink of choice—Diet Coke—at any time of the day.

Reactions Online

After a video of the story circulated online, people couldn’t get enough of the unexpected humor.

“Trump’s sense of humor is unmatched,” one user commented.
Another added, “Honestly, if you don’t use the red button for pranks, what are you even doing in the Oval Office?”

The moment showed a lighter, more human side of life behind the scenes at the White House—where even global leaders might find themselves the target of a well-timed joke.

The Big Question: What Would You Use the Red Button For?

While some might want it to summon snacks or coffee, others joked they’d use it to send their group chat a “let’s go” text or call for their pet.

If you had your own red button on your desk, what would it summon? Pizza? A playlist? A nap pod?