Trump Served 1,000 "Hamberders" To National Champion Football Team
In a rare instance of Donald Trump saying he was going to do something and then actually doing it, the current president followed up on his promise to serve fast food to the national college football championship team from Clemson on its visit to the White House last night.
Takeout sister site, Deadspin, quoted the president:
Clemson championship team, the national championship team, will be coming tonight and it'll be exciting. Very great team, unbelievable team. They'll be coming tonight. And I think we're going to serve McDonald's, Wendy's, Burger Kings with some pizza. I really mean it. It will be interesting. And I would think that's their favorite food. So we'll see what happens. But they're coming tonight, the national champions, subject to the weather.
As CNN's Kaitlan Collins reported:
News: Due to the government shutdown, President Trump is personally paying for the meals that will be provided to the Clemson team during their celebration tonight, CNN has learned. Trump said he's serving "McDonald's, Wendy's and Burger King's with some pizza." WH statement: pic.twitter.com/SAae2dSuMr
— Kaitlan Collins (@kaitlancollins) January 14, 2019
Did you know that the president might have been paying for those meals anyway, shutdown or not? In the midst of the federal shutdown, perhaps there were no White House chefs on site (and the president has been complaining a lot about how lonesome he is lately). But according to a 2015 Thrillist article (titled "Presidents Pay for Groceries, and 14 More White House Food Facts"), as well as other sources, "Aside from official state functions, the president pays for his own groceries at the end of every month."
Maybe this dinner qualifies as an official state function. Or maybe the president is just cheap as hell. Event photos featured platters of everything from burgers to salads to a variety of sauces strategically placed on elegant White House tables, accented by formal candlesticks. But you have to wonder how appetizing that fast food was after sitting around for a while before the event started. Cold fries are the worst.
Earlier this evening, President @realDonaldTrump treated the Clemson Tigers football team to dinner in the State Dining Room! #ALLIN pic.twitter.com/P5JAo6yzfR
— The White House 45 Archived (@WhiteHouse45) January 15, 2019
The specific amount of food varies from various reports: Trump started out crowing about 300 burgers, then upped the number 1,000 "hamberders" in a since-corrected tweet this morning.
Trump to media yesterday: "We have 300 hamburgers"
Trump to Clemson yesterday: "I go out and send for about 1,000 hamburgers"
Trump this morning: "I served them massive amounts of Fast Food (I paid), over 1000 hamberders"— Daniel Dale (@ddale8) January 15, 2019
Well-played, BK:
due to a large order placed yesterday, we're all out of hamberders.
just serving hamburgers today.— Burger King (@BurgerKing) January 15, 2019
[Note: Deadspin, like The Takeout, is owned by Univision Communications.]