Former UK Prime Minister Liz Truss abruptly left the stage during a speaking event after pranksters displayed a banner reading “I crashed the economy” behind her.
Truss was delivering remarks in support of US presidential candidate Donald Trump when the banner, which included a sketch of a lettuce—a symbol linked to her brief tenure as Prime Minister—was lowered onto the stage. The prank elicited scattered laughter from the audience, though Truss seemed unaware until a man stepped in to draw her attention to it. This occurred as Truss was discussing Trump’s potential victory in the upcoming US election.
The host of the event, visibly embarrassed, remarked, “I have no idea where that came from,” as Truss exited the stage in frustration.
Watch:
We just dropped in on Liz Truss’s pro-Trump speaking tour with a remote-controlled lettuce banner. She didn’t find it funny. 🥬 pic.twitter.com/jtSqaxycfF
— Led By Donkeys (@ByDonkeys) August 13, 2024
The prank was orchestrated by the campaign group ‘Led by Donkeys,’ who shared their involvement on X. They posted, “We just dropped in on Liz Truss’s pro-Trump speaking tour with a remote-controlled lettuce banner. She didn’t find it funny.”
While Truss did not appreciate the prank, it generated significant buzz on social media. The video has garnered over 2.4 million views on X, with reactions including, “Well that response was icy, positively iceberg,” and “This is the best thing I’ve seen all year. Faith in humanity restored.”
The exact timing and location of the prank remain unclear. The connection between Truss and the lettuce began when the Daily Star live-streamed a lettuce alongside a photo of Truss in October 2022 to see if she would resign before the vegetable wilted. Truss resigned before the lettuce did, having served just 49 days as Prime Minister.
