This Is Donald Trump's Favorite Fast Food Shake

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To say that President Donald Trump is a fan of fast food is an understatement. The President's fondness for McDonald's is especially legendary, and Trump has claimed that patronizing the restaurant reduces his risk of being poisoned or encountering contaminated food. He expressed to CNN's Anderson Cooper during a town hall meeting, "I like cleanliness, and I think you're better off going [to McDonald's] than maybe someplace that you have no idea where the food's coming from." While you can't argue with that practical logic, it's likely that the Commander-in-Chief has a genuine affinity for McDonald's fare, with a particular sweet treat ranking among his most-ordered items.

Jared Kushner, Trump's former advisor and current son-in-law, explained how he knew the President was on the mend after contracting COVID-19 in 2020. As recounted in Kushner's memoir "Breaking History" (via The Hill), "I knew [Trump] was feeling better when he requested one of his favorite meals: a McDonald's Big Mac, Filet-o-Fish, fries and a vanilla shake."

Trump's love of McDonald's milkshakes has also been reported in other places. According to "Let Trump be Trump," a book written by two former officials with the Trump campaign, the president usually opted for "two Big Macs, two Fillet-O-Fish, and a chocolate malted" (via Eater). The book also claimed that Trump once abandoned a staffer at the restaurant because their own order was taking too long to complete.

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In our ranking of McDonald's desserts, we found the chain's chocolate shake passable, while the vanilla version earned second-to-last place due to its overwhelming sweetness and poor consistency. According to the company, both milkshakes use reduced fat vanilla ice cream as the base and are topped with whipped cream. The primary difference is the use of vanilla-flavored shake syrup versus chocolate-flavored syrup. (It's worth noting that McDonald's chocolate shake doesn't list malt powder as an ingredient, and it's not clear whether the description of "chocolate malted" in "Let Trump be Trump" was made in error or if shake recipes vary according to region.)

There are surely more impressive fast food shakes out there, so what explains Donald Trump's devotion to this seemingly pedestrian cold treat? When it comes to the President's typical daily menu, he has been known to consume snacks like Oreos as well as sizable portions of dessert. This indicates that the Commander-in-Chief may have a sweet tooth. It's also possible that Trump is simply a creature of habit and has grown accustomed to rewarding himself with McDonald's shakes. Whatever the reason, it seems to work for the president.