What is "I Was a Business Man Doing Business"?

It's a catchphrase meme originating from Donald Trump's response during the final 2020 Presidential Debate when asked about an undisclosed Chinese bank account. The quote is used as a humorous non-answer for any questionable dealings.

Where did "I Was a Business Man Doing Business" come from?

The phrase came from the October 22nd, 2020 presidential debate in Nashville, Tennessee, and spread as a meme through Reddit's r/dankmemes within hours of airing.

What does "I Was a Business Man Doing Business" mean?

In meme usage, it's a deliberately vague excuse applied to any suspicious, illegal, or absurd transaction. The humor comes from how the phrase says nothing while appearing to answer the question.

How do you use "I Was a Business Man Doing Business"?

Pair a screenshot of Trump at the debate podium with a setup describing some sketchy or funny "business" scenario. The image and caption act as the punchline.

Is "I Was a Business Man Doing Business" still popular?

The meme saw its biggest spike during and immediately after the October 2020 debate. It still gets used as a reaction image for business-related humor, though at a lower frequency than its initial viral period.

How many upvotes did the original Reddit post get?

The earliest known post by user Morgaaaaaaaaaaaan on r/dankmemes received over 92,000 upvotes with a 96% approval ratio in under 24 hours.

I Was A Business Man Doing Business

Q: What was Trump actually asked about?

Moderator Kristen Welker asked about reports of a previously undisclosed Chinese bank account connected to Trump's business, prompting his now-iconic non-answer.

2020Catchphrase / image macrosemi-active

Published July 28, 2026

Also known as: Business Man Doing Business · I Was a Businessman Doing Business

"I Was a Business Man Doing Business" is a catchphrase meme from the final 2020 U.S. Presidential Debate, where Donald Trump used the phrase to deflect a question about a previously undisclosed Chinese bank account. The quote, delivered on October 22nd, 2020, spread rapidly on Reddit as users paired screenshots of Trump saying the line with jokes about sketchy or absurd business dealings1.

Overview

The meme uses a screenshot of Donald Trump at the final 2020 presidential debate podium, typically mid-sentence, paired with the caption "I was a business man... doing business." The format works as a punchline for any situation involving questionable, illegal, or comically mundane transactions. The humor comes from the vagueness of the phrase, which sounds like a non-answer that could apply to literally anything from money laundering to buying a hotdog2.

Gallery

Origin & Background

Platform

NBC (televised debate), Reddit (meme spread)

Key People

Donald Trump, Morgaaaaaaaaaaaan

Date

2020

On October 22nd, 2020, the final U.S. Presidential debate took place in Nashville, Tennessee. Moderator Kristen Welker confronted Trump about reports of a previously undisclosed Chinese bank account connected to his business dealings. When pressed on the topic, Trump responded with the line "I was a business man, doing business," offering what many viewers considered a deliberately evasive non-explanation2.

The moment stood out because of its circular logic. Trump essentially answered a question about his business activities by stating he was doing business, which the internet immediately latched onto.

How It Spread

Within hours of the debate airing, Reddit's r/dankmemes became ground zero for the meme. User Morgaaaaaaaaaaaan posted one of the earliest versions, which pulled in more than 92,000 upvotes (96% upvoted) in under 24 hours2.

The subreddit kept the momentum going. User oklopfer posted a variation that earned over 26,000 points (98% upvoted) within the same timeframe. A third post on r/dankmemes hit 28,000+ points with a similar approval rate, all in under a day2. The format quickly expanded beyond the debate context, with users applying the quote to any scenario where someone needed a vague excuse for suspicious activity.

How to Use This Meme

The format typically follows a two-part structure:

Set up a scenario involving a shady, bizarre, or mundane "business" activity (drug deals, selling lemonade without a permit, trading Pokémon cards at school, etc.)

Drop the Trump screenshot with the caption "I was a business man... doing business" as the punchline.

Fun Facts

The original debate question was specifically about a Chinese bank account that Trump's business had maintained, which had not been previously disclosed to the public2.

The first Reddit post hit 92,000 upvotes in less than 24 hours, making it one of the fastest-spreading debate memes of the 2020 election cycle2.

All three of the earliest viral posts appeared on the same subreddit, r/dankmemes, and all cleared 96%+ upvote ratios2.

Frequently Asked Questions

References (2)

1
6-7 memeencyclopedia
2
I Was a Business Man Doing Business - Know Your Memeencyclopedia