US President Donald Trump ordered ’300 burgers’ for White House guests on Monday as the ongoing government shutdown left him with a lack of catering staff.
Trump hosted the winners of the national college football championship, the Clemson Tigers, with a fast food feast consisting of burger, fries and pizzas.
He described the selection, from McDonald’s and Wendy’s restaurants, as “great American food”.
“We have pizzas, we have 300 hamburgers, many, many french fries, all of our favourite foods,” Trump told reporters.
“I want to see what’s here when we leave, because I don’t think it’s going to be much,” he continued.
Around a quarter of the federal government has been shut down for the past 24 days after Trump’s $5.7bn demand to build a wall on the southern border with Mexico was rejected by the Democrats.
As a result of the shutdown, White House chefs are staying home without pay as Trump fights with Congress over federal government funding.
The move has affected an estimated 800,000 public sector workers, including White House residence staff, who have been on mandatory leave or working without pay for a record 24 days.
Trump told players who dined at the White House that he did not want to postpone the event until after the shutdown – which is already the longest in history – has ended.