Fast Food Foreign Policy: Is the Menu to Blame?

If you really want to understand a leader, forget the speeches. Check the fridge.

In the case of Donald Trump, the reported menu has long read like a motorway service station at peak hour: fast food feasts, well-done steaks (with ketchup, no less), and enough Diet Coke to carbonate a small nation. Clearly, Trump and food habits have become a topic of fascination.

Now, before anyone calls a dietician to testify before Congress, this is firmly tongue-in-cheek. As chefs, we are trained to observe cause and effect. You fuel a brigade on salt, sugar and caffeine, and what do you get? Energy spikes. Short bursts of brilliance. Frayed tempers when the printer won’t stop spitting dockets. Grand ideas at 11pm.

Sound… familiar? This kind of high-octane environment is not unlike Trump’s reputation for bold leadership.

A diet built on instant gratification tends to reward immediacy. Fast food is engineered for impact — bold flavours, no subtlety, maximum punch. There’s no patience required, no slow appreciation of nuance. It’s culinary capitalism: big, loud, and now, much like the personality of Trump.

And then there’s the steak. Well done. No pink diplomacy in the middle. Cooked through, no grey areas, finished decisively. It’s less a preference and more a metaphor for Trump.

Nutrition science does tell us that highly processed diets can affect mood stability and impulse control. High caffeine intake can amplify reactivity. Blood sugar swings can sharpen emotions. None of this creates narcissism or selfishness — those traits are slow-roasted over a lifetime — but it certainly doesn’t whisper “measured restraint.” It’s no surprise that Trump often makes headlines for his unique behaviours.

So could a steady intake of fries and fizz contribute to an impulsive, self-focused leadership style? Probably not in any clinical sense, although Trump’s actions are frequently debated in the media.

If politics ever felt like it was being conducted at drive-through speed — big orders, bold claims, extra sauce — one might gently suggest that Trump’s decision-making can mirror his culinary choices.

You are what you eat.

And in this case, the plate may have been as unapologetic as the personality. Furthermore, Trump’s choices often spark debate around dietary habits and leadership.

Perhaps this explains some recent decisions made by the 47th President.

Stephen Hickmore

Stephen is a hospitality professional from Johannesburg South Africa. His career started with THF hotels in the UK and subsequently with the Southern Sun Hotel group in Johannesburg. Stephen’s first steps into entrepreneurship was Hickmore Recruitment / CareerMap,  a leading supplier of Senior and Exec recruitment services.  Stephen was a founder  of Pple Hospitality (formerly HSC) the largest Hospitality Industry full-service outsourced staffing company in South Africa. In March 2020 Stephen became a director and owner of the Swiss Hotel School South Africa, which is now his full time passion.

SHS – Institute of Hospitality Management

SHS – Institute of Culinary Arts

Stephen writes for a number of publications on food and hospitality industry matters, trends and opinions. He also hosts a Podcast on Spotify “Hospitality Business with The SilverFox”