By now, despite how much he thinks people love him, Donald Trump should have a clue that not everyone wants to sit with him. The president has long believed he commands a room. But a growing number of people — chefs, celebrities, and everyday critics — have made it clear they would rather be anywhere else. And after what happened at the White House Correspondents’ Dinner, those feelings are hitting harder than ever.
Trump is once again facing scrutiny over the company he keeps. Old videos and interviews from people who once refused to share a meal or a private moment with him have started circulating online. Critics say those past warnings now feel more urgent than ever, given his increasingly combative public behavior.
A gunman caused chaos at the White House Correspondents’ Dinner after allegedly trying to breach security near the ballroom on April 26. Secret Service agents rushed attendees to safety as panic spread through the venue. Trump was carried away by security while others crawled across the floor to escape.
Weeks later, people are still watching and comparing. One widely shared clip shows a TV personality describing a 2016 dinner with Barack Obama in Hanoi as quiet and memorable. The two ate at a small noodle shop, and the Secret Service was packed into an adjacent room. The reaction was very different when asked about doing the same with Trump.
@nowthisimpactAnthony Bourdain has sat down with Hezbollah and KGB spies, but he’d never eat with Trump.
♬ original sound – NowThis Impact Popular chef Anthony Bourdain once made it crystal clear he would not share a meal with Trump under any circumstances. Not even for the story. Bourdain, known for traveling the globe and breaking bread with people from vastly different walks of life, passed away in 2018. He had a few firm rules about who deserved a seat at his table — and Trump simply did not make the cut.
“I’m open to sitting down with anyone who’s nice to me,” Bourdain said in a 2017 interview with CBC’s The National. But his tone shifted quickly when Trump’s name came up. “I just find him personally objectionable,” he added plainly.
He went even further, explaining his reasoning without hesitation. “I don’t think he likes food,” Bourdain said. “From people I know who have had to endure dinner with him… if you enjoy sitting there listening to him talk about himself, you know, great. God bless you.”
With his trademark humor, Bourdain also poked fun at Trump’s well-known preference for well-done steaks. He joked that the president might not even know how to use chopsticks or “grasp them with those tiny little nubbins.” The comment felt like something straight out of one of his TV episodes — sharp, funny, and completely unfiltered.
As clips of the interview spread online, social media lit up fast. One user on X said, “Even Anthony Bourdain knew Donald Trump has always been trash.” Another on TikTok wrote, “Anthony Bourdain was a beautiful human. He is truly missed dearly.”
The responses kept coming. One commenter added, “Cooked the orange clown.” Another called his answer perfect, writing just two words: “Nailed it.” Others quickly chimed in, saying Bourdain was right on point.
Someone else commented, “The spies I’m sure had more class, grace, and intelligence. I’m sure a lot more interesting too.” Another voice added, “And he didn’t even see the worst of him that we’re seeing now.” The thread kept growing, and the consensus was clear.
The pushback against Trump has not stayed online. Activists from the group Codepink interrupted a dinner at Joe’s Seafood, Prime Steak and Stone Crab, shouting, “Free D.C. Free Palestine, Trump is the Hitler of our time.” The protest instantly disrupted the evening for Trump and his Cabinet members gathered inside.
Yet the story stays layered. Despite the public pushback, Trump still projects strength and loyalty whenever he steps into a room. Those moments can be just as striking as the criticism itself.
During a March visit to his golf resort in suburban Miami, guests inside a dining hall rose to their feet and broke into applause as he walked in. One woman could be heard shouting, “USA!” followed by, “We love you, Mr. President!” It was a spontaneous show of support that made clear his base of admirers is still very much alive.
That contrast sits at the center of this story. Bourdain refused to feed him. Activists have disrupted his dinners. Yet his supporters still rise when he enters the room. American public life rarely gives a clean answer — just competing reactions happening all at the same time.
The resurfaced Bourdain clips arrive at a timely moment. Actor Dominic Sessa is set to play a 19-year-old Bourdain in the upcoming biopic Tony. The film follows the chef working his first restaurant job at Ciro and Sal’s in Provincetown in the mid-1970s. It will likely bring a new wave of attention to the man who once said, with zero hesitation, that Trump simply was not worth his time.
And judging by the internet’s reaction, a whole lot of people think he nailed it.
