Saudis treat Trump to his very own McDonald's: 'HOW'S THIS REAL LIFE?'
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Saudi Arabia rolled out the red carpet and golden arches for U.S. President Donald Trump as he kicked off his four-day visit to the Middle East.
A custom-built mobile McDonald’s was brought in for Trump’s arrival in Riyadh on Tuesday — for both the president’s use as well as for the journalists covering the Gulf trip, Newsweek reported.
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Mike Wagenheim, a correspondent at i24NEWS, posted footage of the McDonald’s truck on X.
“Yes, it’s a mobile @McDonalds here in Riyadh,” he captioned the clip.
People on social media were shocked by the lengths Saudis went to welcome Trump.
“How’s this real life?” one account asked, while others described the move as “incredible” and “awesome.”
Some noted how former president Joe Biden never received the same treatment.
“They respect the man,” one person wrote about Saudis’ feelings toward Trump. “They wouldn’t have done anything like this for Biden. We are back to our strength ways.”
Another added: “They ghosted Biden. They rolled in a McDonald’s on wheels for Trump. That’s not just diplomacy…. that’s straight-up icon treatment.”
Trump’s love of the fast-food chain is no secret, and it’s apparent the Saudis have been paying attention.
He appealed to working-class voters during the 2024 campaign when he donned an apron, worked the fryer, and handed customers their food at the drive-thru at a Pennsylvania stop last October.
The publicity stunt was in response to Kamala Harris’ claims that she worked at the fast-food chain as a college student.
In October 2023, during Trump’s fraud trial in Manhattan, several large bags of McDonalds were spotted being brought into court, Fox News reported.
During his first term, the president served a buffet of fast-food options when he welcomed national college football champions the Clemson Tigers to the White House in 2019.
Son-in-law Jared Kushner revealed in his memoir that Trump requested McDonald’s following his COVID-19 diagnosis and recovery in 2020.
“I knew he was feeling better when he requested one of his favourite meals: A McDonald’s Big Mac, Filet-o-Fish, fries and a vanilla shake,” Kushner wrote.
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Trump arrived in Riyadh amid much fanfare, as the nation sent fighter jet escorts to welcome the president’s aircraft to the ground.
Margo Martin, a White House official, posted video of the escort online, declaring, “Saudi F-15’s providing honorary escort for Air Force One!”
Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman greeted Trump on the tarmac that was adorned with a lavender — not red — carpet.
The two leaders then retreated to a grand hall at the Riyadh airport, where Trump and his aides were served traditional Arabic coffee by waiting attendants wearing ceremonial gun belts.
Trump signed a host of economic and bilateral cooperation agreements, as he focused on dealmaking with a key Mideast ally, while he also shared concerns about Iran’s nuclear program as the war in Gaza dragged on in the background.
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