Freedom Was on the White House Menu for Clemson's National Championship Football Team

Notwithstanding a federal government shutdown, President Donald Trump rolled out the red carpet for Clemson’s National Championship football team at the White House tonight. Clemson won their national title exactly a week ago.

And freedom was on the menu, with Trump personally paying for a catered meal of American fast food, including Wendy’s, McDonald’s, Burger King, and Domino’s Pizza — all laid out in the State Dining Room.

Earlier this evening, President @realDonaldTrump treated the Clemson Tigers football team to dinner in the State Dining Room! #ALLIN pic.twitter.com/P5JAo6yzfR

— The White House (@WhiteHouse) January 15, 2019

The Democrats’ refusal to compromise on border security and reopen the government didn’t stop President Trump from hosting national champion @ClemsonFB tonight. He personally paid for the event to be catered by some of America’s great fast food joints pic.twitter.com/eK4CuuBXGM

— Stephanie Grisham (@PressSec) January 15, 2019

News: Due to the government shutdown, President Trump is personally paying for the meals that will be provided to the Clemson team during their celebration tonight, CNN has learned. Trump said he's serving "McDonald's, Wendy's and Burger King's with some pizza." WH statement: pic.twitter.com/SAae2dSuMr

— Kaitlan Collins (@kaitlancollins) January 14, 2019

President Trump hinted at the potential National Championship menu at the press corps rope line earlier today:

"I think we're going to serve McDonald's, Wendy's, & Burger King, with some pizza. I would think that's their favorite food." — Trump, on Clemson football team visit pic.twitter.com/QPQ5SFSZhQ

— Timothy Burke (@bubbaprog) January 14, 2019

"American fast food. Paid for by me. I think they'd like it better than anything we could give. We have some very large people that like to eat." —Trump on why he's feeding Clemson fast food pic.twitter.com/zB0q2cRrgc

— Timothy Burke (@bubbaprog) January 14, 2019

Trump was true to his word:

POTUS with “great American food” for Clemson Tigers visiting WH. pic.twitter.com/VgmQeXNhk6

— Roberta Rampton (@robertarampton) January 14, 2019

https://twitter.com/hunterw/status/1084954858254405633

Trump laid out a White House feast fit for a government shutdown: silver platters heaped with McDonald's Quarter Pounders and burgers from Wendy's pic.twitter.com/3Y7HQdjOdZ

— Reuters (@Reuters) January 15, 2019

The fast-food menu proved to be a big hit with the Clemson players, especially offensive guard Matt Bockhorst:

I mean you’re not just gonna NOT eat the Big Macs stacked in a pile right? https://t.co/nsWC0ptCvi

— Matt Bockhorst (@MattBockhorst) January 15, 2019

I am a lover, not a fighter. https://t.co/0VCIBbM28k

— Matt Bockhorst (@MattBockhorst) January 15, 2019

One of the greatest buffet lines i’ve ever been through https://t.co/CllETMhTBa

— Nolan Turner (@nolanturner02) January 15, 2019

Not all past National Championship teams have received such a White House welcome:

Bush didn’t give us any food when we visited the White House.. would have killed for a Big Mac.

— Dustin Fox (@DustinFox37) January 15, 2019

The Clemson team kept themselves entertained while they waited for President Trump:

https://twitter.com/hunterw/status/1084960129328533506

The president seemed pretty pleased with his menu selection:

"You guys aren't into salads," said Pres Trump of one idea to have @FLOTUS & @SecondLady prepare salads for the Clemson Tigers. Instead the WH sent out for a thousand burgers from @McDonalds, @BurgerKing and @Wendys. "We have everything that I like and you like," said the pres. pic.twitter.com/uYL26Qvr2F

— Mark Knoller (@markknoller) January 14, 2019

During the Clemson Tigers' visit to the White House after their College Football National Championship win, President Donald Trump joked about personally buying hamburgers for the players instead of having his wife, Melania Trump, make them salads. https://t.co/NkHYR8F9oB pic.twitter.com/6ToibgeabA

— OutFrontCNN (@OutFrontCNN) January 15, 2019

Predictably, some in the media were not enthused.

Erin Burnett at CNN expressed her displeasure:

CNN's Erin Burnett Slams Trump for Joking First Lady Could 'Make Salads': That's Sexist https://t.co/nBKYiIUg38 pic.twitter.com/QiO98IqOZf

— Mediaite (@Mediaite) January 15, 2019

Others feigned concern for the diet of the football team:

Clemson football has an "executive performance chef" dietary coach, whose specific job is to ensure the players do not eat the very food Donald Trump is serving them in the White House tonight https://t.co/oKCj202lhf

— Timothy Burke (@bubbaprog) January 14, 2019

Elite athletes don’t eat that shit. https://t.co/PhDQ2Vy64c

— Markos Moulitsas (@markos) January 15, 2019

The ladies at The Cut were especially offended:

President Trump personally paid for a catered dinner of what he called “great American food” https://t.co/FOo2LVzRoI

— The Cut (@TheCut) January 15, 2019

And the usual suspects had to vent their spleens just because it involved Trump:

If a wealthy person buys you a Big Mac for a celebration dinner that means they're just not that into you. It also means they are very cheap.

— Wajahat Ali (@WajahatAli) January 15, 2019

https://twitter.com/krassenstein/status/1084970317309796356

2. … backed by ubiquitous, relentless corporate advertising. Yet somehow this unholy stew of capitalist exploitation & corporate welfare has taken on a vaguely populist air. Already I guarantee there are people responding to the first tweet calling me a tedious scold.

— David Roberts (@drvox) January 15, 2019

4. … it is super-weird to then extend fast food some sort of populist credibility, as though to criticize it is to criticize the people who eat it. It seems to me that is exactly what McF'ingDonalds wants. It's what Chevrolet & WalMart want. They all want a protective sheen …

— David Roberts (@drvox) January 15, 2019

But even some in the media were inspired:

This is perhaps one of the best White House Pool Reports I’ve ever read. @YahooNews should promote @hunterw immediately! pic.twitter.com/YncmAPsxkL

— James LaPorta (@JimLaPorta) January 15, 2019

And someone had to call out the elephant in the room (relax, folks, it’s sarcasm):

Donald Trump is serving Big Macs in the WH to Clemson players.

Do you know what Big Mac sauce is? It’s basically Russian dressing.

If this doesn’t prove collusion, I don’t know what does. Mueller has a slam dunk now. pic.twitter.com/jsWWUMIJLR

— Lord Single Malt (@Singlemaltfiend) January 15, 2019

Despite our political differences, I’m sure that most Americans are happy to see their National Champions receiving a full serving of freedom: