<div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>Three words keep appearing under social media posts about US President </span><a href="https://www.9news.com.au/donald-trump" rel="" target="_blank" title="Donald Trump"><span>Donald Trump</span></a><span>'s </span><a href="https://www.9news.com.au/world/us-armys-250th-birthday-parade-under-way-despite-rain-and-no-kings-protests/c524d503-0070-4ac5-9b7f-2a33d17f8ad9" rel="" target="_blank" title="controversial military parade"><span>controversial military parade</span></a><span>, though on first glance they make no sense.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>"Foxtrot Delta Tango" is the phrase that has been making the rounds online in the last few days, confusing plenty of Australians who aren't familiar with the military-inspired slang that has become popular in the US.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>Here's what it means and why it's being used as a political statement.</span></div></div><div><div id="adspot-mobile-medium"></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><strong><span>READ MORE:</span></strong><span> </span><a href="https://www.9news.com.au/world/israel-bombs-irans-media-studio-while-live-on-air/1e4cf859-f2b4-4ac9-808b-ed43eaeb15e8" target="_blank"><strong><span>Israel strikes state-run Iranian TV during live broadcast</span></strong></a></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><h3><strong><span>What does Foxtrot Delta Tango mean?</span></strong></h3></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>The phrase "Foxtrot Delta Tango" is currently being used by people in the US and abroad to express the sentiment "f--- Donald Trump", without being explicit.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>Foxtrot, Delta and Tango are all code words in the NATO phonetic alphabet, used to communicate the letters of the Roman alphabet.</span></div></div><div><div class="OUTBRAIN" data-reactroot="" data-src="//www.9news.com.au/world/foxtrot-delta-tango-what-it-means-why-used-political-statement-explained/aa4cf955-bafa-4711-a7c6-2f266cc57ff3" data-widget-id="AR_5"></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>They represent the letters F, D and T respectively, so "Foxtrot Delta Tango" stands for FDT.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><strong><span>READ MORE:</span></strong><span> </span><a href="https://www.9news.com.au/world/trump-mobile-announced-by-eric-and-donald-junior-to-take-on-apple-and-samsung/b0ee5702-6ca1-4a01-a6bd-810529ff3e2c" target="_blank"><strong><span>Trump taking on Apple with his own phone company</span></strong></a></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><h3><strong><span>Where did the phrase Foxtrot Delta Tango originate?</span></strong></h3></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>It is unclear where the phrase originated, as "Foxtrot Delta Tango" may have many other meanings outside expressing opposition to the US president.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>Recently, it has circulated broadly on social media platforms like TikTok and X (formerly Twitter), making its origins hard to pin down.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><h3><strong><span>Is Foxtrot Delta Tango an official military term?</span></strong></h3></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>Though the NATO phonetic alphabet is widely used in the US and other militaries, Foxtrot Delta Tango isn't an official military term nor is it used exclusively by military personnel.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>Military slang using phonetic codes isn't new and many such slang phrases have become common outside the military, such as "Whiskey Tango Foxtrot", which stands for WTF or "what the f---".</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><strong><span>READ MORE:</span></strong><span> </span><a href="https://www.9news.com.au/world/israel-iran-conflict-donald-trump-warns-tehran-evacuate-truth-social-post/4ac6c238-ee92-4dc9-b78f-10d76b906edb" target="_blank"><strong><span>'Immediately evacuate': Trump's chilling warning</span></strong></a></div></div><div class="styles__Wrapper-sc-2o34ro-0 cmwkBV"><div class="styles__Column-sc-2o34ro-3 jJDKrX"><a href="/content/2025/06/15/08/40/us-armys-250th-birthday-parade-under-way-despite-rain-and-no-kings-protests"><img alt="" sizes="(min-width: 1024px) 636px, (min-width: 768px) 396px, 100vw" src="https://imageresizer.static9.net.au/_kwXkyllF1diBgqUhVGE6iH9O3E=/396x223/https%3A%2F%2Fprod.static9.net.au%2Ffs%2Fdc27cb52-5cff-45b6-a137-8049204ef86b" srcset="https://imageresizer.static9.net.au/_kwXkyllF1diBgqUhVGE6iH9O3E=/396x223/https%3A%2F%2Fprod.static9.net.au%2Ffs%2Fdc27cb52-5cff-45b6-a137-8049204ef86b 396w, https://imageresizer.static9.net.au/ipIcgMrN3lcJugo7fhBaFOal1yg=/636x358/https%3A%2F%2Fprod.static9.net.au%2Ffs%2Fdc27cb52-5cff-45b6-a137-8049204ef86b 636w"/></a></div><div class="styles__Column-sc-2o34ro-3 jJDKrX"><div class="styles__Headline-sc-2o34ro-4 hpbOlz">Trump and Melania all smiles at US military parade as protests rage</div><div class="styles__Button-sc-2o34ro-1 eBjlmW"><a class="styles__ButtonLink-sc-2o34ro-2 hqpklJ" href="/content/2025/06/15/08/40/us-armys-250th-birthday-parade-under-way-despite-rain-and-no-kings-protests">View Gallery</a></div></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><h3><strong><span>Why is Foxtrot Delta Tango used as a political statement?</span></strong></h3></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>Opposition to Trump isn't new and people in the US and abroad have been making political statements against the commander-in-chief since before his first stint in the Oval Office.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>The phrase Foxtrot Delta Tango may have seen increased use lately in response to Trump's involvement in and promotion of the US Army's 250th anniversary parade last Saturday.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>The massive and controversial parade coincided with Trump's 79th birthday celebrations, a detail that drew criticism from some US military personnel.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>At the same time, massive </span><a href="https://www.9news.com.au/world/donald-trump-protests-no-kings-rallies-celebrities-attend-across-usa/6d220a0f-a9c2-4bb3-89a3-1adab91c416b" rel="" target="_blank" title='"No Kings" demonstrations'><span>"No Kings" demonstrations</span></a><span> were held across the US to protest the president and his military parade.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><a href="https://www.9news.com.au/national/how-to-follow-9news-digital/29855bb1-ad3d-4c38-bc25-3cb52af1216f" target="_blank"><strong><em><span>DOWNLOAD THE 9NEWS APP</span></em></strong></a><strong><em><span>: Stay across all the latest in breaking news, sport, politics and the weather via our news app and 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