Donald Trump’s biographer says the president caused a quiet but very real stir inside the White House over a habit that staffers didn’t exactly know how to handle.
Author Michael Wolff, speaking on the Inside Trump’s Head podcast, said there was a “major kerfluffle” when Trump moved into the White House in 2017 because “he didn’t like to eat in the dining room.” Instead, Wolff said, Trump preferred eating alone, upstairs, The Daily Beast reported.
“He liked to eat in his bedroom,” Wolff explained. And then came the detail that made even the hosts pause: “In the bed, I suppose. When he originally got there, it really sounded like he was, you know, like the feral child.”
Wolff—who had access to the West Wing in those chaotic early months and later turned his observations into the bestseller Fire and Fury—said Trump’s private dining ritual was nothing glamorous. “It was always a burger,” he said, noting that the president would “send out for” one.
Co-host Joanna Coles asked the obvious follow-up: with assassination attempts in his past, did Trump take special precautions with his meals? Did he have a food tester?
“Well, his food tester is Mr. McDonald,” Wolff replied. “One of the reasons that he likes McDonald’s is that all this food is prepackaged and nobody’s hands touch it. Therefore, it’s much safer.”
Trump has never been shy about his devotion to the fast-food giant. Earlier this month, during a rambling appearance at a McDonald’s economic summit, he told executives he was “one of your all-time most loyal customers.” The White House’s official X account later tried to capitalize on the moment, posting an AI-generated image of the McDonald’s golden arches perched on the White House—an image that got roasted online immediately.
Trump’s inner circle has confirmed the pattern for years. Jared Kushner wrote in his 2022 memoir Breaking History that Trump’s go-to order is a Big Mac, Filet-O-Fish, fries, and a vanilla shake. Republican National Committee Chairman Joe Gruters echoed the same description last fall.
Coles pushed the conversation further: “Does Trump have disordered eating?”
“I would say if orderly eating is somewhat of a broad palate, he certainly does,” Wolff said. “I mean, it’s incredibly limited. It’s basically limited to… beef.” Then, almost as an afterthought, he added, “I think he’s having a hamburger for Thanksgiving.”
Watch the full segment below:
