"What's your specialty today?": Trump brags that he knows McDonald's menu "better" than employees

Tucker Carlson is encouraging Fox News viewers to "treat" themselves to a tape of Trump ordering McDonald's in Ohio

By Michael La Corte

Deputy Food Editor

Published February 23, 2023 5:55PM (EST)

Former President Donald Trump, hands out MAGA hats and greets patrons during an off the record stop at a McDonald's restaurant during a visit to East Palestine, Ohio, following the Feb. 3 Norfolk Southern freight train derailment on Wednesday, Feb. 22, 2023, in East Palestine, Ohio. (Jabin Botsford/The Washington Post via Getty Images)
Former President Donald Trump, hands out MAGA hats and greets patrons during an off the record stop at a McDonald's restaurant during a visit to East Palestine, Ohio, following the Feb. 3 Norfolk Southern freight train derailment on Wednesday, Feb. 22, 2023, in East Palestine, Ohio. (Jabin Botsford/The Washington Post via Getty Images)

Donald Trump's penchant for fast food is well established, but a new video of the former president ordering McDonald's is being called a "treat" by one Fox News host.

On Wednesday, Trump visited East Palestine, Ohio —the site of a devastating train derailment that released toxic chemicals — where he greeted local residents and provided aid in the form of water bottles.

As Salon's Kelly McClure reported, "during his scheduled stop-over, Trump and his team doled out bottles of 'Trump Water,' and also 'a much lesser quality water' that did not include his own name on the label."

"You want to get those Trump bottles," the former president teased.

While in Ohio, Trump stopped by the Golden Arches, where he told a cashier that he was "going to take care" of the fire and police departments. A video of the visit was shared on Twitter by The Recount.

"What's your specialty today?" Trump asked before bragging about his knowledge of the restaurant's menu. "So, I know this menu better than you do. I probably know it better than anybody in here."

Trump called the McDonald's employees a "nice, beautiful-looking group of people."

In a previous story about Trump's diet and how his food choices may affect his mental health, Salon Food noted that "when Trump visits McDonald's for lunch or dinner, his go-to order for one meal ⁠— two Big Macs, two Filet-O-Fish and a chocolate shake ⁠— clocks in at 2,390 calories." (The exact order that the former president placed in Ohio is unclear.)


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Later that evening, Tucker Carlson praised Trump's visit to McDonald's on his Fox News program.

"Whatever you think of Donald Trump, when he's unleashed in a crowd of people, he's pretty unbelievable," Carlson said. "If you haven't seen the tape of him ordering at McDonald's in East Palestine, treat yourself."

"He wows everyone in the room. Again, you don't have to love Trump to know he's really good at this — and it's real," the Fox News host continued. "I mean, he feels it — that's why he's so good at it."

Of the segment, Daily Beast media reporter Justin Baragona wrote: "Carlson gushing over Trump's ability to navigate the McDonald's menu is particularly noteworthy considering it was revealed last week that the far-right host has decried the ex-president as a destructive force in the wake of the Jan. 6 insurrection."


By Michael La Corte

Michael is a food writer, recipe editor and educator based in his beloved New Jersey. After graduating from the Institute of Culinary Education in New York City, he worked in restaurants, catering and supper clubs before pivoting to food journalism and recipe development. He also holds a BA in psychology and literature from Pace University.

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Donald Trump East Palestine Fast Food Food Fox News Mcdonalds Ohio Restaurants Tucker Carlson