Donald Trump, the 45th President of the United States is famous known for many things – his business empire and political controversies to his exuberant lifestyle. He had a passion for other things, like his love of fast food (such as McDonald’s), which made him more relatable.
Why McDonald’s works for Trump
Representatives for McDonald’s did not immediately respond to Inquisitr request for comment, and Trump has never publicly confirmed his daily fast food habit. Trump’s love of fast food was an issue throughout his presidential campaign, and Trump ordered literally everything on the menu. His reliance on McDonald’s burgers and fries, as well as other fast-food staples is in some part due to his Milliways-like confidence that these foods will not be poisoned or otherwise do him harm. This itself he has mentioned often, for food from famous chains like McDonald’s because of the uniformity in preparation and hygiene checks they follow. This sentiment aligns well with Trump’s previously reported germ and food paranoia.
Fast food, Meet the campaign trail
McDonald indicated that McDonald’s was a regular stop for Trump during his 2016 presidential campaign. He was regularly pictured with a Big Mac or Filet-O-Fish in hand while whizzing from rallies on his personal plane. It became a central part of his brand — the idea that this super-rich guy could eat just like any other regular Joe (not withstanding those steaks and 6 mg burgers). McDonald’s, with its low-priced menu items and dietary risks began as an attempt to reach out to his populist base of voters.
White House Fast Food Feasts
His penchant for fast food also became known during his presidency. He hosted a White House fast-food feast in January 2019 for the Clemson University football team, which had recently won the national championship. Facing a government shutdown, Trump replaced the usual White House banquet cuisine with McDonald’s, Burger King and Wendy’s. With that image of a silk-plaited selection of burgers, fries and pizzas seemingly wanting nothing more than to be forcibly displayed forthwith as the epitome of his middle eastern success in all its spread-thinnest glory scrolling across your newsfeed.
Some viewed this as a light moment; others accused him of undignified behavior ill befitting the White House. Trump remains confident in his decision, however — arguing the players will like it more than a sit-down.
A Symbol of Trump’s Brand
In some ways, his love of McDonald’s is indicative of a larger trend in Trump”s public image. Trump loves nothing more than consistency and mass appeal, two traits that McDonald’s is famous for. His fast food-loving self reinforces his persona as a businessman in the image of an efficient, no-nonsense man-of-the-people.
And further, Trump’s relationship with McDonald’s (and fast food in general) gets to the heart of his style of politics. Exactly the same, tough love style aside and “drain the swamp” rhetoric apart this cup of tea down to going with a Big Mac over gourmet food speaks to an element of people that respect simplicity and no BS.
Conclusion
Plain burgers and fries are not the only thing Donald Trump loves about McDonald’s. It has morphed into a piece of his public persona, sending the message that he’s in tune with Middle America. From fast food-fueled campaign-trail comment to White House state dining, the love-on-a-bun relationship Trump has with McDonald’s stands as a highly successful melding of personal taste and political populism — The President versus Healthy Chef.