The Absurd Connection Between Trump And Ketchup
Most people are familiar with Donald Trump, and many either love him or hate him. Regardless of your personal feelings regarding the 45th President of the United States, one thing about the billionaire has proven to be true: He loves fast food. Whether the former president eats McDonald's simply for pleasure or to garner popularity among the American public, he has consumed his fair share of meals from the chain, both before and during his presidency.
Trump's standard McDonald's order typically includes a Big Mac, a meal that involves ketchup in the secret sauce and on the side, as long as there are fries for dipping. Not only does Trump eat ketchup at the Golden Arches, but when the man orders a steak, he wants it cooked well done and covered in the thick, sweet condiment. And as of this week, there's yet another reason why Trump may be associated with ketchup.
In his exclusive remarks to the Associated Press published in December of 2020, former Attorney General William Barr denied Trump's long-running claims that the 2020 election was rigged due to voter fraud. This came as a shock to Trump and his supporters, since Barr had been one of Trump's "most ardent allies" during his presidency. Unsurprisingly, Trump was not happy when he heard about the AP story while eating lunch in the West Wing. But what does that have to do with ketchup?
Trump threw his plate of lunch upon hearing Barr's remarks
This week, former White House aide Cassidy Hutchinson testified (before the House committee investigating the Capitol insurrection on January 6, 2021) that when Barr's 2020 interview went live, she heard noise coming from the White House dining room. When she entered the West Wing area, she found a broken porcelain plate on the floor and "ketchup dripping down the wall" (via the Associated Press). A valet who had witnessed the incident claimed that upon hearing about Barr's statements, Trump threw his lunch at the wall in protest.
While this was not the first time Trump has thrown his food, according to Hutchinson, it may have been the first time it ended with a mess of ketchup on the wall. News about the incident has had journalists around the country taking to Twitter to air their grievances with the ex-president.
Kaitlan Collins, CNN's Chief White House Correspondent, tweeted about the incident late Tuesday, and one commenter couldn't help but compare Trump to a petulant child, stating, "Ketchup is definitely on brand. I wonder what chicken nugget got thrown, the stegosaurus or T-rex..." MSNBC host Chris Hayes made his opinion clear by tweeting, "KETCHUP DRIPPING DOWN THE WALL. As perfect an epitaph for the age as any." Author Wajahat Ali posted a similar sentiment, claiming the incident was reflective of Trump's time in office.
The former President was already known for his crimes against food, such as eating pizza with a fork and knife, but now he is also known as the president who took his anger out on one of America's most loved condiments.