White House or White Castle? Trump Serves Clemson Fast Food at White House
In the White House’s grand State Dining Room, a long mahogany table piled with a sight many had likely never laid eyes on before welcomed the Clemson University football team. Unlike the lavish feasts held for royalty, foreign dignitaries and celebrities, President Donald Trump serves Clemson fast food during their national championship celebration.
Trump offered the Clemson team with what he described as “Great American food.”
A smorgasbord of burgers, chicken nuggets, and pizzas from various fast food chains were neatly stacked on numerous silver serving platters with silver gravy boats overflowing with packets of dipping sauce and a pair of ornate candelabras holding tapered white candles amidst the table.
White House turned White Castle?
Earlier the unexpected feast, Trump spontaneously informed reporters that he would be serving “McDonald’s, Wendy’s and Burger King’s with some pizza” to the Clemson team at the White House. Adding that he presumes it was their favorite food.
True to his words, on Monday evening, after a short trip to New Orleans for a speech, Trump told reporters that a fast food dinner personally paid by himself will be served at the Clemson Tigers’ national championship celebration.
The dinner was out of the president’s pocket because of the White House running with a thinned-out staff as a result of the ongoing partial government shutdown which is now in its fourth week.
“We have some very large people that like eating. So I think we’re going to have a little fun,” Trump mentioned.
Deputy press secretary Hogan Gidley said in a statement to CNN that the president wanted to host a fun event in celebration of the Clemson Tigers who are the College Football National Champions. He even further explained that Trump’s gesture came about because “the Democrats refuse to negotiate on border security.”
Trump strengthened this in his brief remarks in the dining room by turning his message back to the border security issue after welcoming the Clemson team. He mentioned that “the Republicans are really, really sticking together.”
The Trump flak for the White House feast
With the border security comments aside, the recent White House event drew flak against Trump serving fast food to the national champions.
From a video posted on Twitter, Clemson player Darren Haynes could be overheard saying “I thought it was a joke,” a reaction shared by many regarding the president’s earlier promise to provide the national champions food found on different dollar menus.
And of course, on the Internet, social media users are quick to share what they think about this — from snarky comments to memes. Late-night hosts also shared their thoughts in their own shows.
“Of all the crazy things Trump said and did over the weekend, this might be the craziest,” Jimmy Kimmel said on his ABC show Monday night, not even trying to contain his laughter.
Stephen Colbert even did a Trump impression, joking, “We’re going to eat all of their favorite foods — burgers, KFC, taco bowls, two scoops of ice cream. We’re going to watch their favorite movie, the 2016 election results. Then, I will spank them all with a rolled-up Forbes. I hear they’re really into that.”
On NBC, Seth Meyers was equally called out the president, impersonating Trump as well. “He thinks he’s being so sly, ‘Normally, I would have a salad for dinner on Monday, but they told me they only eat fast food!’”
Critics also called out the president, saying that the elite Clemson athletes were most likely not meant to be stuffing themselves down with burgers and fries, and wondered why Trump didn’t have his own hotel, located just a few minutes from the White House, provide catering.
Clemson substantially has players working with “culinary coaches” in an effort to get them to eat healthier and even extending to having meetings with the players, monitoring what they eat, giving them one-on-one cooking demos and helping them select the “fuel” they need.
Some conservatives, nonetheless, refuted critics of Trump’s move, calling them as elitists.
They defended that “real Americans” often eat, and enjoy, fast food. Others, such as FiveThirtyEight’s Nate Silver, even tweeted that the meal was an suitable option for a group of college students — A-list athletes or not.
However, to Trump’s regard, it looked like his guests savored their cheat day as there was reportedly “not much” food left over as reported by The Post.
