Donald Trump’s penchant for well-done steak served with ketchup has been well- documented, but a profile of a former Trump bodyguard reveals that the president is also a yuge McDonald’s fan — to the point where he asked White House chefs to recreate a Quarter Pounder.
This McNugget of information was tucked in a Politico piece on Keith Schiller, Trump’s former bodyguard who was “Director of Oval Office Operations” until September.
For a piece that’s ostensibly meant to offer insight into Schiller’s confidante-esque relationship with Trump, Politico really ran with the McDonald’s theme. Not only do we learn that Trump’s preferred burger is a Quarter Pounder with cheese, we also find he enjoys it with the rather youthful preferences of extra ketchup and no pickles.
It turns out that the White House kitchen was asked to replicate both the burger and an apple pie. Politico’s Annie Karni writes that staff attempts “couldn’t match the satisfaction” of the McDonald’s originals — perhaps because White House chefs work with higher-grade ingredients.
Those failures mean that Schiller (who was a relatively senior White House figure) dispatched himself to a McDonald’s on New York Avenue and 13th Street NW to pick up a meal for Trump.
The profile also shows that Schiller’s commitment as a fast-food courier dates back to at least the 2016 presidential campaign: He would also head to a McDonald’s near LaGuardia Airport to pick up Egg McMuffins in the breakfast hours, or “two Quarter Pounders and a large fries later in the day”.
The Politico piece is hardly revelatory in terms of insight into Trump’s all-American diet, yet it does give interesting insight into White House operations. It’s a world where trained chefs attempt to replicate food often prepared by teens and readily available less than a five-minute walk away; where high-ranking officials (and not some lowly intern) are responsible for not only acquiring that meal, but also ensuring it’s pickle-free.
• Trump's 'loyal lieutenant' to testify on 2013 Russia visit [Politico]
• Trump asked White House chefs to recreate McDonald’s [Death & Taxes]
• Trump Sticks to His All-American Diet on Visit to Japan [E]
• Actually, How Donald Trump Eats His Steak Matters [E]