Are Toasters Really Banned At Trump Rallies?

Former U.S. President Donald Trump has been busy this summer. Unlike typical ex-presidents who seem content to retire into relative obscurity, quietly building houses for the poor, like Jimmy Carter, or taking up portraiture, like George W. Bush (via Do You Remember), Trump has been holding rallies across the country, some say with an eye toward another run at the presidency in 2024 (via New York Post).

The former president definitely knows how to get attention, but the social media buzz in recent days has been more about a "NO TOASTERS" mandate that Trump rally-goers must abide by. Yes, you read that right. No toasters, as in the bread-warming appliance on your kitchen counter.

The strangeness started like this, according to Snopes: On August 22, President Trump held a rally in Alabama. At the same time, a photo of a sign, said to have been taken at the entrance to the rally site, began to circulate. The sign showed a list of items that attendees were banned from bringing inside. The list of banned items included what you'd expect at any event where a current or former world leader would be in attendance: No backpacks, suitcases, pepper spray, weapons, or explosives.

But the Trump rally sign also included some seemingly harmless items, including chairs, balls, signs, selfie sticks, and yes, toasters and other small appliances.

It turns out these more innocuous items, per a list obtained by Mobile, Alabama's NBC 15 came not from the Secret Service, and so the speculation is that the Trump team added them. (It's also identical to a list from the 2020 Trump reelection campaign distributed ahead of a Minneapolis rally, according to the subreddit Political Humor.) While the inclusion of a small cooking appliance sounds funny, there is actually a little bit of rationale behind it, points out Snopes. 

That is, some kitchen appliances, like pressure cookers, could potentially be used to make explosive devices, as explained by Popular Science. But the specific mention of the humble toaster on the list contributed to the #toastertrump hashtag and generated funny comments. Replying to @BettyBowers, one follower wrote, "The first thing I do when I get to a political rally is find somewhere to plug in my toaster, because toast is my civil right. They're restricting my freedoms!" @eisforerin retweeted a photo of the sign, commenting, "Is this America, or is this America? If I can't bring a toaster to a Trump rally, WHAT'S NEXT?" And @pgdubfan responded to @SFCDad12B with our favorite comment: "Appliances, i.e. Toasters" is where I draw the line. If I want to open carry my toaster, I am gonna do it, ain't nobody gonna tell me I can't toast a bagel at a rally."