'Germophobe' Donald Trump always wanted his Diet Coke to be opened in his presence at his DC hotel: Report
Former president Donald Trump continues to remain in the headlines even a month after his presidency got over, not only for political reasons but for those outside it. The 74-year-old businessman-politician’s habits have always kept the media interested and now, a new article in the Washingtonian magazine has revealed yet another unknown fact about the maverick leader: Trump wanted his Diet Coke bottle to be opened in his presence and the "germophobe" in him expected the servers to hold the lower-third of the bottle.
The article, which was published on Friday, February 19, detailed the preferences of Trump and his wife Melania and their top Republican friends after speaking to former staff at the Trump International Hotel in Washington DC on what happened when the former commander-in-chief came to dinner. The piece also said that the former president sat at Table 72, a round booth in the middle of the Trump Hotel’s mezzanine, which is impossible to miss. It also got hold of ‘A Standard Operating Procedure’ document which outlined the steps that needed to be followed when Trump decided to dine at BLT Prime, the hotel’s restaurant.
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'The beverage had to be opened in front'
“As soon as Trump was seated, the server had to “discreetly present” a mini bottle of Purell hand sanitizer. (This applied long before Covid, mind you.) Next, cue dialogue: “Good (time of day) Mr. President. Would you like your Diet Coke with or without ice?” the server was instructed to recite. A polished tray with chilled bottles and highball glasses was already prepared for either response. Directions for pouring the soda were detailed in a process no fewer than seven steps long—and illustrated with four photo exhibits. The beverage had to be opened in front of the germophobe commander-in-chief, “never beforehand.” The server was to hold a longneck-bottle opener by the lower third of the handle in one hand and the Diet Coke, also by the lower third, in the other. Once poured, the drink had to be placed at the president’s right-hand side. “Repeat until POTUS departs,” the article reads.
“Trump always had the same thing: shrimp cocktail, well-done steak, and fries (plus sometimes apple pie or chocolate cake for dessert). Popovers—make it a double for the President—had to be served within two minutes and the crustaceans “immediately.” The manual instructed the server to open mini glass bottles of Heinz ketchup in front of Trump, taking care to ensure he could hear the seal make the “pop” sound.”
Melania didn't like garnishes
Melania, too, had her choices. The former first lady, a former model, hated to see garnishes and once sent back a Dover sole because it contained parsley and chives.
“Garnishes were a no-no. Melania Trump once sent back a Dover sole because it was dressed with parsley and chives, says former executive chef Bill Williamson, who worked at the restaurant until the start of the pandemic. Trump himself never returned a plate, but if he was disappointed, you can bet the complaint would travel down the ranks. Like the time the president questioned why his dining companion had a bigger steak. The restaurant already special-ordered super-sized shrimp just for him and no one else. Next time, they’d better beef up the beef,” the Washingtonian article added. It also mentioned that Trump loved to have junk food that needed to be made available every time the former president made a visit. The items included the likes of Lay’s potato chips (specifically, sour cream and onion), Milky Way, Snickers, Nature Valley Granola Bars, Tic Tacs, gummy bears, Chips Ahoy, Oreos, Nutter Butters, Pop-Secret, Tootsie Rolls and chocolate-covered raisins.
While the hotel saw several high-people arriving regularly apart from Trump, the authorities did not really enjoy the presence of Rudy Giuliani, the former president’s private attorney. The veteran lawyer did more paperwork than eating at the restaurant while on days, he would spend the entire time at the hotel. “At one point, someone made it official and created a black-and-gold plaque that read RUDOLPH W. GIULIANI PRIVATE OFFICE. The restaurant would keep it behind the host stand and place it at his table before he arrived,” the Washingtonian article said.
“The biggest pain in my butt was Giuliani,” a former manager at the hotel told the Washingtonian. “He was constantly in the restaurant. And I complained about it. The guy would come in, expect a table for ten at a moment’s notice at, like, 2 pm, when we’re not fully functioning. We don’t have the staff. But he’s the President’s lawyer, and what am I supposed to do?” he said.
Trump’s children, on the other hand, were said to be “fairly low-key and polite” who “just came in, did their thing and left”.
MEAWW cannot independently verify and does not support any claims being made on the Internet.