Donald Trump has been forced to present a McDonald’s feast for American football champions as White House chefs were absent due to a government shutdown.
Silver platters heaped high with the fast food giant’s famous Big Macs, quarter pounders and various sauces were seen in the State Dining Room prepared for the visiting Clemson Tigers.
The US leader personally paid for the catering, with the White House saying the team – winners of the US college football championship – would receive “some of everyone’s favourite fast foods”.
"We have pizzas, we have 300 hamburgers, many, many french fries, all of our favourite foods," Mr Trump told reporters, as one White House worker still on the job lit tapered candles.
"I want to see what’s here when we leave, because I don’t think it’s going to be much," the president said before the players, dressed in suits, flooded the room and piled their plates high.
Mr Trump told the players afterwards that he did not want to postpone the event until after the shutdown - which is already the longest in history – ended.
About a quarter of the federal government has been shut down for the past 24 days after Mr Trump dug in on a campaign pledge to build a wall on the southern border with Mexico.
He is demanding $5.7 billion from Congress for the project. Democrats have rejected his demand.
