By late Thursday, members of the Trump Cabinet had been focused on the war in Iran and on pressures affecting the U.S. economy, when Trump shifted the meeting to a long, on-and-off account about a custom Sharpie marker. The White House president held up a black-and-gold pen and spoke for roughly five minutes, at times diverting attention from what advisers were discussing about missile strikes, uranium enrichment, and the risk facing U.S. troops.
The Sharpie episode came after Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, envoy Steve Witkoff, Vice President JD Vance and Secretary of State Marco Rubio offered comments described as sobering in the context of the Iran war. The meeting also touched on record-long security lines at some major U.S. airports, rising oil prices, and what Trump’s advisers characterized as skittish stock markets, before Trump took the floor for the pen story.
Trump presented his Sharpie monologue as an example of how he believed his business approach could produce better, cheaper outcomes in federal spending. He said the administration needed “priorities straight,” and he used the Sharpie anecdote to reinforce his long-standing criticism that renovations to the Federal Reserve building in Washington were too expensive.
In the story he told, Trump said the White House once had “beautiful” ballpoint pens that cost $1,000 each. He said the pens were used as keepsakes during ceremonial bill signings and that large numbers of people—he mentioned figures like “30, 40 people,” and said recipients even included children—received the gifts without understanding their cost.
Trump said he felt guilty about the spending and described his motivation as wanting to “save money,” saying, “I love the government like I love myself, economically.” He added that he did not want the marker-making company to get too much publicity, but he later said the solution was to use Sharpies, a longtime favorite of his, prompting laughter from Cabinet members.
Trump said he contacted the company that makes the markers and was told the firm could make a black pen with the White House logo in gold without charging him. He told the Cabinet that he insisted on paying $5 per marker, adding that online searches show typical Sharpies sell for usually $1 to $2 apiece.
Trump also recalled a conversation in which he said the Sharpie maker’s head asked whether “this is really the president” before agreeing to make the custom marker. He said the Sharpie monologue drew the most attention the marker had received at the White House since the “Sharpiegate” episode during his first term involving Hurricane Dorian.
A statement from Atlanta-based Newell Brands, the Sharpie manufacturer, said the company did not have information about the conversation Trump described, while noting that Sharpies are used by current and past U.S. presidents, elected officials, celebrities, athletes and artists. Trump characterized his account as “a business story,” and, after finishing the Sharpie recollections, he returned to the meeting by turning to Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent.
As the Cabinet laughed, Bessent offered a response that drew on Trump’s reputation for commanding attention, saying, “Well, sir,” “as usual, you’re a tough act to follow.”