Overview
- Trump, during Thursday’s Cabinet meeting on the Iran war, a partial Homeland Security shutdown, and airport delays, spent about five minutes telling a story about his custom black‑and‑gold Sharpie.
- He said the White House once used ballpoint pens that cost about $1,000 each and sometimes failed to write, and he claimed he arranged custom Sharpies for roughly $5 per pen.
- Newell Brands, which owns Sharpie, said it has no information about the phone call or deal Trump described, leaving his account in dispute.
- Trump cast the anecdote as a cost‑cutting lesson and tied it to his complaint that planned renovations to the Federal Reserve’s headquarters are far too expensive.
- Coverage highlighted the timing and optics during active crises, USA Today noted Newell Brands’ stock rose while he spoke, and several outlets recalled his earlier Hurricane Dorian “Sharpiegate” episode.