President Donald Trump shared a meme on Sunday with an image of himself playing a fiddle and text warning that “nothing can stop what’s coming.”

Given the rapid spread of the COVID-19 coronavirus combined with the sinking markets ― including Dow futures plunging nearly 1,000 points around the time the president tweeted ― more than a few found the message a little ominous.

The president also added his own sentiment to the meme posted by his social media director, saying it sounds good to him... even if the meaning isn’t exactly clear:

Who knows what this means, but it sounds good to me! https://t.co/rQVA4ER0PV — Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) March 8, 2020

The phrase in the meme is popular among QAnon conspiracy theorists, some of whom celebrated the tweet.

But Trump’s critics on Twitter were quick to suggest the image might have a meaning the president likely didn’t anticipate: The popular – if probably untrue – legend of Nero fiddling as Rome burns around him.

And since Trump played golf throughout the weekend as the crises unfolded, more than a few suggested that golf was his own version of the fiddle:

Fiddle while Rome burns. To do something trivial and irresponsible in the midst of an emergency; legend has it that while a fire destroyed the city of Rome, the emperor Nero played his violin, thus revealing his total lack of concern for his people and his empire. — Morten Øverbye (@morten) March 8, 2020

The president, who is goofing off at his golf resort as his administration's train wreck of a pandemic response goes from bad to worse, retweets an image posted by HIS OWN social media director that's reminiscent of Nero fiddling as Rome burned. Because neither has heard of Nero. pic.twitter.com/qlYvzV2NOn — Walter Shaub (@waltshaub) March 8, 2020

I was a day early with my "Nero fiddles while Rome burns" reference, apparently https://t.co/1W2JadieiX — Parker Molloy (@ParkerMolloy) March 8, 2020

The American Nero fiddles while the U.S. burns. https://t.co/LVEPr1HDyZ — Richard W. Painter (@RWPUSA) March 8, 2020

You see, Nero was a decadent and unpopular ruler. In fact, he's remembered as one of the cruelest and most sadistic rulers.



The phrase "Nero fiddled while Rome burned" refers to people who neglect their duties by engaging in frivolous pursuits

(like golf).



You're welcome. https://t.co/0D9qBSnOar — Teri Kanefield (@Teri_Kanefield) March 9, 2020

It means that playing golf while Americans die during an uncontained epidemic makes you look like the Emperor Nero fiddling while Rome burned. The fact that neither you nor your social media director understand this meme and retweeted it makes you even more oblivious than Nero. — Frank Figliuzzi (@FrankFigliuzzi1) March 8, 2020

Nero is an example of somebody who’s done an amazing job and is getting recognized more and more pic.twitter.com/NrBhRXNRLY — Max Weiss (@maxthegirl) March 8, 2020

Lazy Nero? — John Weaver (@jwgop) March 8, 2020

I was about to write the same thing: It means Donald Trump is fiddling while America burns. Impressively subversive esoteric tweet by @DanScavino. — Bill Kristol (@BillKristol) March 8, 2020

I know what it means. You’re cuckoo for Cocoa Puffs. https://t.co/QwMDANN4y7 — George Conway (@gtconway3d) March 9, 2020

It means that you are fiddling while Rome burns. You might want to look up what happened to Nero. — Renato Mariotti (@renato_mariotti) March 8, 2020

Trump: “Who knows what’s this means, but it sounds good to me!”



Me: “Somebody wanted to make you look like Nero, photoshopped a fiddle in your hands, and you and Dan Scavino are too dumb to understand the metaphor.” pic.twitter.com/4f9sqEfeh6 — Santa Claus, CEO (@SantaInc) March 8, 2020

It means that Nero fiddled while Rome was burning, but you play golf and post stupid memes while many Americans are at risk of contracting the coronavirus.



It means you are clueless.

It means you're an idiot.

It means November is coming.



Dumbass. — BrooklynDad_Defiant! (@mmpadellan) March 8, 2020

I have to admit that I did not have "I'm Nero!" on my Donald Trump Batshittery Bingo card — Jeff Tiedrich (@itsJeffTiedrich) March 8, 2020

It means Trump is just like Nero, but instead of playing the fiddle while Rome burns, Trump plays the violin in a stupid meme as our country is engulfed in a coronavirus outbreak. — Eugene Gu, MD (@eugenegu) March 8, 2020

It's true.



The coronavirus will wreck havoc on America, and your inaction, incompetence, and attempts to mislead the public will go down in history as 1,000x worse than Bush's Katrina. — William LeGate 🧢 #ByeDon 2020 (@williamlegate) March 8, 2020

When your own social media director is posting Nero images during your disastrous pandemic response, do you a) try to do better b) fire him or c) assume it’s a compliment and RT pic.twitter.com/21XIhJPq54 — Hari Kunzru (@harikunzru) March 8, 2020

Someone’s never heard of Nero... https://t.co/esu9rpOjNx — Steve Vladeck (@steve_vladeck) March 8, 2020

Nero 2020: Keep Rome Great! pic.twitter.com/EiRMc3mWEx — Kevin M. Kruse (@KevinMKruse) March 9, 2020