A Trump wine and dine: Albo cops more than a drive thru
You don’t make friends with salad, do you?
US President Donald Trump hosted and catered for the Australian prime minister, adding a touch of class after previous fast food feasts, allowing Anthony Albanese to linger longer without getting in the car.
On the menu for a formal men’s lunch in the White House cabinet room, “White House honey dressing” appeared to accompany the start of “Autumn Green Salad.”
Mr. Trump apparently likes something Barack Obama left behind in the White House; He’s using the former president’s bounty of honeybees to sweeten his lunch, despite his scathing tirade a few months ago accusing him of treason.
A beehive was installed on the South Lawn of the White House by Mr. Obama in 2009 to pollinate gardens and provide honey for the kitchen.
Another interesting dessert on the menu was the “Red Bartlett Pear Pavlova” served as dessert, probably to give Mr. Albanese a taste of home.
There was no word on whether the combination of green and red on the two dishes was a reference to Mr Albanese’s beloved South Sydney Rabbitohs, but rabbits were kept off the menu in this year’s NRL competition, despite being roasted.
The meaty rosemary stir-fry, accompanied by celery, asparagus and kale, marked a significant nutritional departure from previous Trump administration banquets.
The bill for the meal came to $1.5 billion, which Mr. Albanese had pledged to a critical pipeline of mining projects.
In 2019, the president served hundreds of burgers to the Clemson college football team to celebrate their win in the national championship.
The cabinet room Mr. Albanese prepared for the luncheon was also a step down in opulence compared to the last White House dinner.
In 2023, the prime minister and his partner Jodie Haydon attended a state dinner in the White House ballroom in honor of Mr Albanese with then-president Joe Biden, who left visibly Australian flavors off the menu.
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