A White House visit, a tray of McDonald’s, and a separate lunch in Milan have collided online. President Donald Trump served fast food to the U.S. men’s Olympic hockey champions this week. Around the same time, the U.S. women’s team was photographed dining with actor Stanley Tucci in Italy. The images travelled fast.

A video shared from inside the White House showed the men’s team unwrapping burgers and fries. Huffpost reported that Trump has done this before. In 2019, he served McDonald’s, Wendy’s and Burger King to Clemson’s national championship football team during a government shutdown, citing staffing shortages. North Dakota State’s football team got a similar spread months later.

 

This time it was hockey. Trump met the Olympic Gold medalists and served them burgers. Again. The White House kitchen employs career chefs. State dinners can run into the tens of thousands of dollars, with multi-course menus and carefully selected wines. That wasn’t the look here. The online reaction was blunt.

“How embarrassing. The gold medal–winning USA Hockey Team visits the White House, and Trump serves them McDonald’s,” one post read. Another said, “The WH literally has the best chefs in their staff working 24/7 for the POTUS and events. And he orders takeout?”

A third user wrote that the players “deserved potatoes and steak” but got “burgers and fries,” ending the post with a fries emoji.

Not everyone was surprised. Trump has long described himself as a fast-food loyalist, once saying he preferred it for consistency and cleanliness. McDonald’s is not unusual food. It just looked different under chandeliers… of the White House.

 

 
 
 
 
 
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A post shared by USA Hockey (@usahockey)

 

Then came the side-by-side comparisons of the Olympic champions.

Photos circulated of the U.S. women’s hockey team in Milan, seated at a long table with Stanley Tucci. The actor, known for his love of Italian food and for hosting culinary travel shows, joined them for lunch ahead of their gold medal win. This time there were plates of pasta, wine glasses on the table, and white tablecloths.

“I’m sorry, the women’s team having lunch with legend Stanley Tucci while the dudes were served Big Macs at the WH is killing me,” one user posted. Another penned, “Meeting Stanley Tucci is a gazillion times better than meeting literally any president ever.”

The women’s team had earlier declined an invitation to attend Trump’s State of the Union address. Members instead accepted other invitations, including a celebration hosted by rapper Flavor Flav, who has publicly supported women’s sports. The men attended the White House event.

That contrast of burgers in Washington and pasta in Milan did the rest.

Some posts focused on respect for the office. Others zeroed in on optics. A few joked about flying to Florida in Crocs and pajamas next, folding in the current airport debate. 

The White House has not indicated any change in how it hosts championship teams. In fact, there is no formal rule requiring a specific type of meal. Visits are ceremonial. Photos are taken and speeches are made. The menu varies.

This one, thanks to Trump lovin’ it, came in paper wrappers. The Milan lunch came on porcelain plates. Both teams won gold, but the interweb says that one team received the better lunch.