Former President Donald Trump delivered a remarkable speech at the McDonald's Impact Summit 2025 in Washington, seamlessly transitioning between discussing military operations against Iran and complaining about the lack of tartar sauce with his meal.
From Fry Cook to Commander-in-Chief
Trump opened his address by highlighting his unusual credential: 'I'm honoured to stand before you as the very first former McDonald's fry cook ever to become president of the United States.' This referenced his election campaign stunt where he worked briefly in a Philadelphia branch kitchen.
He couldn't resist taking a jab at political rival Kamala Harris, noting his 30-minute kitchen shift was '30 minutes longer than Kamala was there, right?' Trump then painted a rosy picture of America's current state, declaring the nation was experiencing its 'golden age' with prices coming down.
Military Might and Missing Condiments
The tone shifted dramatically as Trump discussed the bombing of Iran earlier this year. He proudly praised American military equipment as the 'greatest military equipment anywhere in the world.'
'You saw that with the way we took out Iran with those gorgeous bombers... the equipment is so good. The B-2 bomber, stealth, they never saw them,' he told the audience.
Yet moments later, Trump returned to his fast food theme, expressing his love for McDonald's while making a specific complaint: 'I like fish. I like it. You could do a little more tartar sauce, please. I say, 'Do you have tartar sauce?''
The Fast Food Presidency
Author Michael Wolff, who has written extensively about Trump, provided context for the former president's McDonald's affinity. According to Wolff, Trump loves McDonald's because he's 'terrified of being poisoned.'
Wolff explained: 'He had a longtime fear of being poisoned, one reason why he liked to eat at McDonald's — nobody knew he was coming and the food was safely premade.'
This isn't the first time Trump has made headlines with his fast food preferences. In 2019, he famously served McDonald's to Clemson football players at the White House after chefs walked out during a government shutdown, ordering 1,000 hamburgers along with chicken nuggets and pizza.
Despite his well-documented love for Filet-o-Fish and cheeseburgers, Trump reportedly briefly adopted a healthier diet in 2018, swapping his usual orders for salads during a health kick.
