On campaign trails and private jet rides, Donald Trump's love of fast food is the stuff of legend. But this week, his favourite McDonald's menu has gone viral for a very different reason: reportedly, it made a U.S. senator “sick as a dog.”
Joe Gruter spills the beans
Republican National Committee chairman Joe Gruters unveiled Trump's hidden McDonald's ritual on his appearance on the Chambers, Changes, and Conversations podcast. Reminiscing on the time he spent on the campaign trail with the former president, Gruters noted he was amazed by both "the amount and what the president eats." The senator explained how Trump's McDonald's order wasn't merely your average combo meal- it was a tailor-made creation.
The infamous order
Trump's unusual selection reportedly contained “one filet-o-fish -one quarter pounder -one big mac with an orange soda," which he reportedly packed together into one giant "burger sandwich." "When I was with him, he had hot fries waiting for him from McDonald’s. I got my fries at my chair, but he had his handed to him right when he got on the plane."
Grueter left ‘sick as a dog’
Inquiring, Gruters went ahead and ordered the same combination, which he said left him "sick as a dog for 24 hours”, although he admitted that he did like it at first. Perplexed, he questioned how anybody so "senior" as Trump could " get away with eating all this McDonald’s probably on a consistent basis.”
Gruters even teased that McDonald's owes the favour back," He loves McDonald’s. McDonald’s should be paying that guy."
Surprisingly, this isn't the first time Trump's fast food has been in the spotlight. Trump's campaign staff in 2017, Corey Lewandowski and David Bossie, authors of the book Let Trump Be Trump, reported that Trump's usual fare consisted of "two Big Macs, two Filet-O-Fish, and a chocolate malted." The co-authors disclosed that "on Trump Force One, there were four major food groups: McDonald's, Kentucky Fried Chicken, pizza, and Diet Coke."
RFK Jr. defends Trump’s McDonald’s love
Trump's love of fast food even earned a pat on the back from Robert F. Kennedy Jr., the U.S. Secretary of Health and Human Services, who came to the president's defence. "I don’t want to take food away from anybody. If you like… a McDonald’s cheeseburger, Diet Coke, which my boss loves, you should be able to get them." Kennedy testified at a Senate hearing earlier this year.
Meanwhile, California Governor Gavin Newsom took a swipe at Trump’s tariff policies, tweeting, “Thanks to Donald Trump, your Big Mac will now be $9.”
Trump’s McDonald’s moments
Trump has made his McDonald's cheerleadership a trademark public image over the years. Before last year's U.S. presidential election, he even wore an apron and handed out fries at a McDonald's restaurant in Pennsylvania - a viral photo taken as a sharp jab at Kamala Harris's previous assertions of having worked at the fast-food chain.
In another viral photo, Trump was spotted on board Trump Force One with Robert F. Kennedy Jr., Elon Musk, Mike Johnson, and his son Donald Trump Jr., grinning over a table laden with McDonald's meals following a UFC bout in New York City.
Whether it's campaign charm or sheer indulgence, Trump's McDonald's habit continues to fuel headlines and, it seems, stomachaches as well.
