Working in the White House kitchen sounds pretty glamorous until you realize you’re basically dealing with some of the pickiest eaters on the planet. Andre Rush, a chef who worked through four different administrations, recently opened up about what it’s like cooking for presidents. And honestly, his take on Donald Trump’s eating habits is super interesting.
Trump’s diet was black and white
According to Rush, Trump was the hardest president to cook for during his time at the White House. The reason? There wasn’t much diversity to his meals. “With him and Melania Trump, it was black and white,” Rush explained in an interview. As a chef, you want to explore different flavors and techniques. But Trump liked what he liked, and that was pretty much it.
I mean, we’ve all seen those photos of him eating McDonald’s on his private plane. The guy knows what he wants. Rush mentioned that Trump rarely snacked and just kept running through his day without stopping for little bites here and there. It’s kind of unusual for someone who doesn’t really snack throughout the day, honestly.
The Diet Coke button was totally real
You’ve probably heard the story about Trump having a button on his desk that would summon a butler with a Diet Coke. Turns out that’s not some made-up rumor. “That’s true,” Rush confirmed. The president-elect apparently drinks soda 24/7 and doesn’t really drink water at all. He’s been living off Diet Coke for years and basically tells people “it hasn’t hurt me yet.”
But Rush pointed out something important – that’s what everyone says until it actually does hurt them. And with Trump being 78 years old now, that’s a pretty big difference from when he first took office. The chef said he’d try to manipulate Trump’s water intake by adding flavoring like orange, lime or lemon to make it go down easier. Does anyone actually think Trump would fall for flavored water though?
Obama was the easiest by far
Rush said President Obama was totally different. He was the easiest president to cook for because the Obamas had that garden and wanted everything fresh from there. Working with garden ingredients gave Rush way more freedom to experiment and create diverse meals. The contrast between Obama’s approach to food and Trump’s approach couldn’t be more different, basically.
Sneaking healthy food onto Trump’s plate
Here’s where it gets interesting. Rush talked about how he’d “manipulate” Trump’s diet to make it healthier without the president really noticing. If Trump wanted a burger, Rush would mix turkey into the ground beef to cut down on fat. Instead of pork bacon, he’d use beef bacon which is crispier anyway. And he’d swap regular fries for sweet potato fries or vegetable fries with homemade dipping sauce.
“You can take some risks by putting a couple little extra things on a plate, even if it’s not asked for,” Rush explained. But you can’t just go in hard charging and completely change everything. After trying different approaches over time, Rush learned you have to be political about it. You need to get to know the president first, understand why he eats what he eats, and then slowly introduce healthier options. It’s sort of like dealing with a picky kid, honestly.
Trump does try to eat healthy sometimes
Despite all the fast food photos and burger stories, Rush insists Trump does actually try to eat healthy. People just don’t see that part because it doesn’t make for good social media content. Everyone wants to show the McDonald’s feast on the private jet, not the salmon dinner he might’ve had the night before. The unhealthy stuff gets all the attention.
But let’s be real – Bill Clinton ate just as many burgers as Trump did, according to Rush. It’s just that Trump’s eating habits became this whole thing that people focused on. And Trump being 78 now means his diet is going to matter even more going forward. Rush said it’s going to be way more hectic this term since Trump has a lot more to prove.
The challenge of cooking for someone set in their ways
One of the biggest challenges Rush mentioned was that Trump doesn’t eat a lot of foods simply because he’s not used to them. When you’re dealing with someone who has such specific preferences, you can’t just throw new dishes at them and hope they’ll like it. You have to build trust first. Let them get comfortable with you in the kitchen.
Rush’s advice to future White House chefs? Get to know Trump deeper than what a piece of paper says. Understand his psyche, figure out why he eats what he eats. That’s the only way you’ll be able to encourage him to try new things or eat healthier options. It’s pretty much a psychological game at that point. You’re not just cooking food, you’re navigating personality traits and decades of established habits.
Working with Melania’s preferences too
Rush also mentioned that both Trump and Melania had specific preferences that didn’t leave much room for creativity. When he said their food choices were “black and white,” he was talking about both of them. Having two people with such defined tastes makes the chef’s job even harder. At least if one person is adventurous, you can work with that.
The last time Rush talked about working in the White House, he emphasized how different each administration was. Every president brought their own style to meals, their own expectations, their own comfort foods. Trump’s administration was just the most restrictive when it came to trying new dishes or incorporating diverse ingredients.
The reality behind the fast food photos
That famous photo of Trump eating McDonald’s with Elon Musk, RFK Jr., and Donald Trump Jr. on the plane went viral for a reason. “Make America Healthy Again starts TOMORROW,” Trump Jr. joked in the caption. The irony wasn’t lost on anyone. But Rush’s interview shows there’s more nuance to Trump’s eating habits than those viral moments suggest. He’s not eating burgers and fries at every single meal, even though that’s what we see most often.
Still, the fact remains that Trump was the hardest president Rush cooked for across four different administrations. That says something about just how particular his tastes are. And with Trump heading back to the White House at 78, his diet is going to be under even more scrutiny this time around. Whether the new White House chefs can successfully “manipulate” his meals to be healthier remains to be seen. Not even close to an easy job.
What this means for his second term
Rush’s insights give us a window into what life might be like in the White House kitchen over the next four years. The chefs are going to have their work cut out for them trying to keep Trump healthy while respecting his strong preferences. And that Diet Coke habit? That’s probably not going anywhere. At least Rush offered some practical solutions like the flavored water trick, even if it seems like a long shot. The bigger question is whether Trump will be open to any changes at all this time around, or if he’ll stick to exactly what he knows he likes.
