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Donald Trump made a surprise stop on the campaign trail in Atlanta, Georgia, where he indulged in one of his favourite hobbies – handing out fast food.
The former president’s fast food allegiance seemed to have briefly changed, as he replaced his well-documented penchant for McDonald’s for rival US chain Chick-Fil-A.
Pictures showed Mr Trump behind the counter of the restaurant on Wednesday, handing out various items to customers, smiling and taking pictures. The visit came ahead of a scheduled fundraising luncheon.
He ordered 30 milkshakes and “some chicken,” telling staff at the outlet that he wanted to “take care of the customers”.
“Is business good? Are you’re making a lot of money? You’re getting rich, right?” he asked smiling staff.
He added that Chick-Fil-A was “a great franchise”, saying “the owner is a great man who is a member at one of my clubs and he’s fantastic. They do very well... it’s the Lord’s chicken. It’s good chicken too.”
Chick-fil-A is still largely rooted in its founder’s Christian beliefs and restaurants do not open on Sundays. Its corporate mission statement is “to glorify God by being a faithful steward of all that is entrusted to us and to have a positive influence on all who come in contact with Chick-fil-A.”
The 55-year-old business, which runs more than 2,800 restaurants across the US, Canada and Puerto Rico, has previously faced backlash from LGBT+ rights groups, which has delayed its planned expansion into the UK last year.
The Cathy family, owners of the chain, have historically donated money to various organisations, some of which have been linked to anti-LGBT+ beliefs including Exodus International, an organisation that advocated gay “conversion therapy” until it closed, and the Fellowship of Christian Athletes, which opposed same-sex marriage.
Despite his stop at the popular chicken restaurant, the former president’s love for McDonald’s is well known.
During his time in the Oval Office, Mr Trump was famously photographed with a lavish spread of fast food from the joint for a visit from the Clemson Tigers football team during a government shutdown in 2019.
In the photo, Mr Trump was pictured with an enormous grin and hands spread wide in front of an array of boxed burgers, which, he told reporters at the time, he had paid for all himself.
He said that the vast amount of food was because “we have some very large people that like eating,” adding: “I like it all, it’s all good stuff. Great American food … I like em all, if it’s American I like, it’s all American stuff, but it’s good stuff.”
The former president said that the spread for the Tigers had included 300 hamburgers and “many many french fries.”
Mr Trump’s favourite items from McDonald’s are a “Big Mac, Filet-o-Fish, fries and a vanilla shake,” according to son-in-law Jared Kushner. During his 2016 election campaign, he was frequently served Big Macs on silver trays on his plane, according to reports.
Last summer the former president made headlines after failing to picking up a tab at a famous Cuban eatery in Miami, shortly after announcing there would be “food for all” for the large crowds gathered there to support him.
The visit to the Versailles restaurant in Little Havana had functioned largely as a campaign stop after he appeared in Florida federal court on charges that he mishandled classified documents and impeded the government’s attempts to get them back.
According to reports at the time Mr Trump recieved a warm welcome at Versailles, a frequent stop for Republican candidates in the city, where diners sang him a rendition of “Happy Birthday” and prayed over him.
But Mr Trump only saw fit to stay at the restaurant for a few minutes after announcing that there would be food for all, leaving no time for people to order let alone for him to pay the check.
Trump orders food for everyone as he hits a Chick-fil-A in Atlanta - The Independent
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