A chef who worked in the White House during four administrations said Donald Trump was the “hardest” president to cook for, because he and his wife liked their food in quite a specific way.
“Easiest by far was President Obama, because they had the garden and wanted to get everything from the garden,” chef Andre Rush told Politico’s West Wing Playbook in an interview published Tuesday.
“The hardest was Trump. There was not a lot of diversity to it. As a chef, you want to be able to explore and have more fun. With him and [Melania Trump], it was black and white.”
Trump has long been known for his love of fast food, particularly McDonald’s, and soda.
During his first term, Trump had a button on the Oval Office’s Resolute Desk that would summon a butler bringing a Diet Coke, his preferred drink. “That’s true,” Rush said.
The celebrity chef, who served in the administrations of Bill Clinton, George W. Bush, Barack Obama and Trump, told Politico that Trump “does try to eat healthy” and described ways cooks could “manipulate his diet” to make it more nutritious.
“I would try to incorporate as many healthy food items as I possibly could. Especially because he’s known for not drinking water. He’s always been on his soda trip. That’s all he drinks, 24/7,” Rush said.
“I would think about maybe adding a flavoring — whether it’s the orange, lime or lemon — into his water to make it go down quicker,” he added.
He also suggested tweaks to a classic burger and fries like swapping in a side of sweet potato or vegetable fries, and incorporating turkey mince into the patty.
“There are a couple different ways I would manipulate his diet. You can take some risks by putting a couple little extra things on a plate, even if it’s not asked for,” he said.
After the election, Trump was pictured dining on a smorgasbord of McDonald’s on his plane, alongside allies Elon Musk and Robert F. Kennedy Jr., and his son, Donald Trump Jr.
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“Make America Healthy Again starts TOMORROW,” the younger Trump posted alongside the image.
Read the full interview at Politico.