12 Things Donald Trump Does When He Dines Out
Ronald Reagan liked jelly beans so much that Jelly Belly created a blueberry flavor to honor him during the 1981 presidential inauguration. And Lyndon B. Johnson had such an affinity for Fresca soda that he had a dispenser installed in the Oval Office. As for the newest President's food vice? It turns out, Donald Trump is a yoooge fan of fast food!
While on the campaign trail, Trump wasn't seen eating out all too often. The reason? As a guest on the late-night circuit, Trump told Jimmy Fallon he had a grueling schedule and he could get a quick meal from Wendy's or McDonald's to eat on his jet, which we suppose gives double meaning to the idea of eating "on the fly."
As Trump takes office, we're taking a look back at some of his eating habits that were revealed as he made stops at diners and tweeted photos of himself smiling alongside his orders. (Prediction: He probably won't be the voice of healthy-eating initiatives because he unabashedly admits his love for junk food.) Find out more below and check out these 27 Celebrities Who Worked at Fast Food Places.
He Orders His Steak Super Well-done
Foodies might be offended by this one, but Trump likes his steak well-done—and then cooked some more. In fact, his longtime butler Anthony Senecal dished to The New York Times that Trump would order his steak so well done that "it would rock on the plate."
He's a Huge McDonald's Fan
Celebrities…they're just like us, going through the drive-thru and perusing the dollar menu. Trump, a billionaire, ordered from the golden arches fairly often while on the campaign trail. Specifically, he's a fan of the Filet-o-Fish, Big Mac, and Quarter Pounder. During a CNN town hall, he told Anderson Cooper, "The Quarter Pounder. It's great stuff." Don't miss our exclusive report on The Entire McDonald's Menu—Ranked.
He Washes Down His Fast Food with Soda
When you're Donald Trump, "to-go" means on a private jet of course. Back in May 2016, when he secured enough delegates to become the GOP nominee, he posted a fast food selfie of himself eating McDonald's chased back with a bottle of Diet Coke. Find out where that diet cola ranks on the Eat This, Not That! list of the 70 Most Popular Sodas Ranked By How Toxic They Are!
He's Afraid of What Restaurants Might Do to His Hamburger
So, what's with the love of fast food aside from its convenience? When Trump was a guest on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon, he told Fallon he appreciated the anonymity at fast-food chains and he trusts the brands backing burgers at Wendy's and McDonald's. "I don't want [someone] to go into a restaurant and say, 'Mr. Trump would like a hamburger to go," Trump tells Fallon. "If they don't like me …" He trailed off, but we can guess where he's going with that one. To be fair, you can find some horrifying things in your food, regardless of how well-liked you are or not.
He Eats Fried Chicken with a Fork
The Donald has given us a treasure trove of fast food photos. Over the summer, Trump tweeted a photo of himself, again, on his jet, with a big ol' bucket of KFC fried chicken, plus a container of possible gravy. The internet poked fun at him for eating the fried chicken with a fork. The Washington Post had a lot of fun with the photo, analyzing it and concluding that Trump likely ordered KFC's $20 Fill-Up, complete with 8 pieces of crunchy chicken, a large coleslaw, four biscuits, and two sides of mashed potatoes. Gravy-drenched fried chicken isn't on our list, but you can actually eat healthy at KFC.
He Eats Pizza with a Fork, Too
Donald Trump went out for some slices with Former Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin back in 2011 and they shocked New Yorkers by using forks to eat their pizza. Comedian Jon Stewart, in response, went on a lengthy rant about Trump's pizza-eating tactics, lambasting him for double stacking his pizza and for opting for Famous Famiglia, an Albanian pizza chain in Times Square, instead of one of the many authentic NY pizzerias in the city.
But He Doesn't Like Pizza Crust
Ah-ha. There's a reason Trump eats his pizza with a fork, after all. He explained to the Daily Mail it's a comfortable method because he likes "not to eat the crust." The fork, he said, allows him to scrape off the top of his pizza. Trump also said that by not eating the crust, it helps him keep his weight down. We know plenty of people who still use their hands to eat pizza and not eat the crust, but hey, to each their own.
He Either Skips Breakfast or Chooses Indulgent Options
You probably won't see President Trump holding many breakfast meetings. That's because Trump says he oftentimes skips breakfast. On the rare occasions that Trump does eat breakfast, he goes with a traditional combo. He told People prefers medium-cooked bacon and over-well eggs, and when Trump was on the campaign trail, he made a stop at the Ham House in Greenville, S.C. where his breakfast order included two eggs (he gave the owner two thumbs up on his eggs), plus bacon, sausage, hashbrowns, and two biscuits.
He Eats at the Same Steakhouse as Bill Clinton
Trump's dinner at 21 Club mostly made headlines because he defied protocol and ditched the press to dine there after he was elected. In fact, the reason the press found out he was eating there was a Bloomberg reporter also happened to be having dinner at the restaurant and tweeted a photo of him. Eating at the 21 Club, though, is a presidential tradition. Every sitting president since FDR has eaten at the restaurant, except two. George W. Bush never ate there as president but did visit the restaurant during his tenure as governor of Texas. Outgoing President Barack Obama never made a stop there, either. John F. Kennedy was supposedly a regular, according to Fox News.
You Won't See Him Ordering a Beer
A lesser-known fact: Trump doesn't drink alcohol and never has. He told the Washington Times in 2015 that he's never had a drink of alcohol and his fatherly advice to his children is to abstain from drugs, alcohol, and cigarettes. When he was at 21 Club, there was buzz he ordered a virgin Bloody Mary to wash down his $36 burger.
He's Picky About His Fries
While this tidbit remains unconfirmed, Deadspin picked up on a funny Trump story relayed on Twitter about his french fry preferences. Writer Jen Deaderick tweeted about it, saying her former roommate was a pastry chef at a restaurant where Trump ate. Trump ordered fries but kept sending them back to the kitchen, about three or four times saying they weren't good enough. The head chef eventually sent someone to the store to buy Ore-Ida frozen fries, which were served to Trump who called them perfect.
He Orders a Lot of Cheese
Extra cheese, please! When Trump stopped for a meal at the Red Arrow Diner in New Hampshire during his campaign, he ordered a deep-fried macaroni and cheese to go along with his cheeseburger and fries and washed down the meal with his go-to drink, Diet Coke. You won't exactly find these types of decisions on the list of 35 Tips for Being Healthy While Dining Out, which is what you'll want to do to stay slim.
