List of Foods Donald Trump Will Eat for His First Presidential Meal

Donald Trump is hours away from his first meal as the 47th president of the United States, and the menu includes appetizers from the Northeast and dessert from the Midwest.

Why This Matters

Trump will be sworn back into the White House at noon, just in time for lunch. After the inauguration ceremony, he will head to the U.S. Capitol to attend a luncheon hosted by the Joint Congressional Committee on Inaugural Ceremonies (JCCIC). It will also be the first inaugural luncheon since 2017, as the 2021 event was canceled amid the coronavirus pandemic.

What To Know

Like past the inaugural luncheons, Monday’s event will serve a three-course meal with seafood, a meat entrée, and dessert.

Trump’s first course will be a Chesapeake crab cake with tomato tartar, bay sauce, pickled vegetables, romanesco, dill and chive oil.

For the main course, Trump will feast on steak from Omaha. The Angus rib-eye will accompany carrots, broccoli rabe, red wine truffle jus and potato gratin.

And, of course, no presidential meal is complete without dessert. Before wrapping up lunch, Trump and other attendees will be served a Minnesota apple ice box terrine with sour cream ice cream and salted caramel.

Guests will be welcomed with a glass of sparkling wine from New Mexico, and each course comes with its own wine pairing: a chardonnay from Monticello, Virginia, a cabernet sauvignon from Napa Valley, California and a natural sparkling blend from Sonoma County, California, respectively.

Trump, who has been outspoken about his sobriety, will likely not participate in the pairings, but his favorite beverage—Diet Coke—will probably be ready for pour. News reports say he regularly drank 12 cans a day during his first term.

In 2017, Trump and his approximately 200 luncheon guests dined on Maine lobster and gulf shrimp, followed by a main of grilled Seven Hills Angus beef and dessert of chocolate souffle with cherry vanilla ice cream.

The Inaugural Luncheon was first held in 1897, but its current form began in 1953, according to the JCCIC’s website.

“Often featuring cuisine reflecting the home states of the new President and Vice President or the JCCIC Chairman, as well as the theme of the Inauguration, the luncheon program includes speeches, gift presentations from the JCCIC, and toasts to the new administration,” the website states.

Former Presidents Bill Clinton, George Bush and Barack Obama will not attend the lunch.

What People Are Saying

Margo Martin, Trump’s deputy director of communications, wrote on X, formerly Twitter, last week: “Tonight, President Trump received the first ever Presidential Commemorative Inaugural Diet Coke bottle from the Chairman and CEO of Coca-Cola Company, James Quincey.”

Andre Rush, a chef who worked in the White House kitchen during Trump’s first term, told Politico last month: “[Trump] gets so much flack about the unhealthy side of him. He does try to eat healthy, but people don’t get to see that part of it. They just see the part that we want to show on social media. I mean, Bill Clinton ate just as many burgers as Donald Trump did.”

What Happens Next

The transfer of power is slated to take place at exactly noon, per the United States Constitution. After Trump delivers his inaugural address, there will be an official farewell and ceremonial departure for Trump and soon-to-be Vice President JD Vance. The two are then expected to sign any nominations, memorandums, proclamations and executive orders in the president’s room before heading to lunch.