Trump's Disorderly Eating Is 'Incredibly Limited' To Beef And No Greens, Michael Wolff Reveals

Imagine the highest office in the world, the stately, historically significant White House, and its most powerful resident opting to eat dinner alone, in his bed, with a spread usually reserved for a late-night drive-thru run.

It sounds absurd, yet that is precisely the picture painted by author Michael Wolff regarding former President Donald Trump's unusual and highly isolated eating habits during his first term. Wolff, who had access to the inner workings of the White House during the early days of Trump's presidency, dropped this astonishing claim on The Daily Beast's 'Inside Trump's Head' podcast.

He described the former Commander-in-Chief's preference for taking his meals in his bedroom, like a 'feral child,' leading to a considerable internal 'kerfuffle' as staff and, crucially, the Secret Service scrambled to accommodate and control the unique demands of the new resident.

This was no mere preference; it was a security concern and a challenge to the established order of the Executive Mansion.

A Burger-Filled Battle Over Donald Trump's Diet

The tussle over food preparation began almost immediately upon the president's arrival in 2017. Donald Trump's most significant preference was for an external, un-White House-sanctioned burger.

Wolff noted, 'I know when he got to the White House in 2017, there was some kind of major kerfuffle about this because he didn't like to eat in the dining room. He liked to eat in his bedroom. In the bed, I suppose'. He continued his critique, saying, 'I mean, he's had a lot of time now, but when he originally got there, it really sounded like he was, like the feral child'.

The author of the controversial book Fire & Fury was clear about the president's staple. 'And it was always a burger. His preference was to send out for the burger,' he stated. This led to a significant conflict with the professionals tasked with his safety and care. The Secret Service and White House chefs had to tell the new president, 'We cook our food here.' And that was a tussle about that.'

The reason behind Donald Trump's steadfast preference for fast food, particularly McDonald's, is two-fold, according to Wolff. While host Joanna Coles inquired about fears of poisoning — suggesting a comparison to Russian leader Vladimir Putin having a food tester — Wolff offered a more palate-driven, yet security-tinged, explanation.

One of the reasons for his love of Big Macs, as per Wolff, is that 'all this food is prepackaged and nobody's hands touch it. Therefore, it's much safer. At the safer risk of his being poisoned, and/or random germs. It is food untouched by human hands'.

However, Wolff suggested that the simple, addictive nature of the cuisine may have played the biggest role. 'No, I would say it's really more about his palate. The truth is, if you have a steady diet of fast food, which is high in salt and sugar, it becomes more difficult to eat good food, healthy food,' he said.

When asked if the president had 'disordered eating,' Wolff replied, 'Well, yeah. I would say if orderly eating is somewhat of a broad palate, he certainly does. I mean, it's incredibly limited. It's basically limited to beef'. He noted the complete absence of any greenery, adding, 'I've never heard a reported vegetable'. The president's fundamental meal plan often involved 'two hamburgers a day, sort of hamburger for lunch and a hamburger for dinner'.

Fast Food: The Mandatory Menu for Donald Trump's Team and Guests

The president's preference for processed meals extended far beyond his private chambers, effectively making fast food the de facto menu for his entire working environment. As Wolff put it, Donald Trump's staff had an 'awareness that part of the job is fast food. It's kind of dicey. This is like a minefield that you're not going to navigate, that you're going to get blown up'. For those working closely with him, it was part of the job description. 'Fast food is the menu. There is nothing else,' Wolff scoffed.

This requirement for fast food extended even to high-profile White House guests. The most famous example happened in March 2019, when President Trump famously served the Division I FCS National Champions, the North Dakota State Bison team, an elaborate spread in the State Dining Room. Tables piled high with McDonald's hamburgers, Chick-fil-A sandwiches and other fast food items.

In a more recent, post-presidency example from November 2024, a photograph circulated showing the president alongside Elon Musk and Robert F. Kennedy Jr. aboard Trump Force One, with plates of McDonald's food prominently displayed. The image was particularly striking given that Kennedy, 71, is known to be extremely health-conscious. Coles remarked that he claimed he 'won't eat this stuff,' even though he was pictured holding an open box next to a calorie-laden bottle of regular Coca-Cola and what appeared to be a Big Mac.

The incident simply reinforces Wolff's observation that the president's love for burgers and fries is a central and unavoidable feature of his public and private life.