You might remember the viral moment from Donald Trump’s presidency when he invited the college football champions to the White House for dinner and served . . . McDonald’s. But did you know that Trump really loves fast food and eats it frequently?
Donald Trump is known, loved, and hated for many things. Whether you love him or hate him, his antics have brought plenty of attention during his campaign, presidency, impeachment, and the aftermath.
While Trump’s most notable fast food moment is certainly when he served the Clemson Tigers a smorgasbord of fast food in the prestigious White House dining room, he actually eats quite a lot of fast food.
According to Trump’s former campaign manager Corey Lewandowski, Trump very frequently ate McDonald’s for dinner.
His usual order was two Big Macs, two Filet-o-Fish sandwiches, and a chocolate milkshake. People did the math and found that this order is a whopping 2,530 calories in just one meal.
In a CNN Town Hall, Trump even told Anderson Cooper that his favorite McDonald’s order was the fish sandwich.
Trump staffers have reported that McDonalds, KFC, and Dominos pizza were frequent meal choices for the former president.
The Reason for Trump’s Fast Food Obsession
It may come as a surprise that someone like Donald Trump loves fast food so much. After all, he boasts about being extremely wealthy and grew up with a silver spoon, so he could certainly afford finer dining if he chose.
So, why does Trump love fast food? Because he’s afraid of being poisoned.
In Fire and Fury: Inside the Trump White House, Michael Wolff writes that Trump “had a longtime fear of being poisoned, one reason why he liked to eat at McDonald’s — nobody knew he was coming and the food was safely premade.”
Trump is known to be a bit of a germaphobe, so whether he fears poisoning from political opponents or just good old food poisoning, he has said that he feels safer eating at fast food chains like McDonald’s.
In a CNN Town Hall in 2016, he said about McDonald’s, “I like cleanliness, and I think you’re better off going there than maybe someplace that you have no idea where the food is coming from.”
Trump seems to think that fast food restaurants are more regulated because they’re such large corporations, and therefore they’re cleaner than your average restaurant.
Trump was also known for refusing to eat from previously opened food packages and for drinking through straws in case glassware is dirty. He’s referred to himself as “very much a germaphobe.”
During his campaign, it was also suggested that Trump loves fast food because it’s American, and to look more relatable to constituents.
Trump’s former Senior Counselor Kellyanne Conway once said that eating fast food “goes with his authenticity” – a possible strategy to endear Trump to the masses and steer away from his wealthy reputation.
Based on how much fast food he’s eating, I think it’s safe to say that Trump simply likes it!