Trump Feeds the Tigers McDonalds

 

CLAIRE RODARTE Staff Writer

 

On Monday Jan. 14, Clemson University’s football team visited the White House to celebrate their victory in the College Football Playoff National Championship. This is not an uncommon invitation, but the menu for the event brought great media attention. President Donald Trump fed the players and coaching staff fast food on silver platters.

The food; from McDonalds, Burger King, Wendy’s and Domino’s; was purchased by Trump who placed the blame behind the lack of a normal menu on the government shutdown. Because some of the White House kitchen staff are not being paid during the shutdown, there was no one to cook the feast.

Although the meal was served on White House china and silverware, this must have come as a surprise to the players who ultimately traveled to Washington D.C. only to be surprised by boxes of burgers and silver gravy boats filled with McNugget dipping sauce packets. When arriving that day, the team was met by the realization that the President of the United States spent a small portion of his wealth to purchase cheap and unhealthy food for them.

Trump was also criticized for the timing of this trip by the team. This was the fastest arrival that any college football team has come after winning a championship, as the Tigers arrived just a week after their victory. A celebration during the time of the government shutdown could be seen as being in bad taste. The fast food feast is an insult to the players and coaches, who just came off of an undefeated 15-0 season and championship run.

By making the assumption that since the players are large they must like junk food, Trump is undermining how physically fit and disciplined they are. While the Tigers seemed, to be unbothered by the string of current events concerning their White House visit, it has stirred up controversy in the media and in the world of both politics and sports. A photo of Trump standing in near the tabled piled with food even spawned several memes.

Trump should have taken better actions when preparing food for the champions of college football, especially since the Tigers are one of the only teams that will accept an invitation to come see him. Trump should also not pride himself on paying for the food, as he is seeking praise for unsuccessfully fixing a problem that he himself created. This is another example of President Trump’s peculiar occurrences during his tenure as President. Unfortunately, it seems likely that this will not be the last one.