Why Anthony Bourdain Refused To Share A Meal With Donald Trump

In 2016, Anthony Bourdain famously sat down with President Barack Obama to eat Bún chả in a mom-and-pop restaurant in Hanoi for his show, "Parts Unknown." A year later, "The National," a show on Canada's CBC, asked him if he would ever sit down to eat with then-elect Donald Trump. In short, Bourdain said no because he finds Trump to be "personally objectionable."

As Bourdain points out, he's dined with people he disagrees with. Hezbollah, a former Chief of Counterintelligence for the KGB, and even vocal Trump supporter Ted Nugent have all sat down with Bourdain. So what about Trump crosses a line? It's not just that Bourdain was opposed to Trump's stance on immigration, saying his presidency would mean an end to every restaurant in America. "I don't think he likes food. And from people I know who have had to endure dinner with him — if you enjoy sitting there listening to him talk about himself, you know, great, God bless you," he explained. He continued, "I mean, he only eats steak well done."

If it were just the way Trump ate his steak, Anthony Bourdain would have trouble with a few presidents (and some of the ways the Royals love to eat). Barack Obama himself was a little close to the line, as he liked his steaks cooked medium-well. So, while Bourdain found Donald Trump's food practices, like well-done steak, to be abhorrent, it was more than that. In an interview with Eater in 2016, Bourdain made it clear why he did not like Trump. "I'm a New Yorker, Donald Trump is a New Yorker. And the New Yorkers I know, we've lived with this guy for 30 years. I've seen Donald Trump say things one day, and then I saw what he did the next. I've seen up close how he does business," he explained.

He didn't stop there. In his 30 years sharing a city with Trump, Bourdain kept track of the things he said and did. "I don't think he's a good person. I remember the Central Park Five and what he said. I've seen how he's treated employees ... I saw what he did to the west side of this town," Bourdain elaborated.

Bourdain was someone who loved his city. His favorite breakfast spot was the New York City classic Barney Greengrass. His love for the place went beyond food. He also loved how much a part of the neighborhood the deli is. Beyond well-done steak, one of Trump's worst sins was changing the look and feel of New York City. Bourdain worried that Trump would bring the aesthetic he'd shown in redeveloping New York to the rest of the world. "He's going to make the whole world look like the back of Rick James's van," he warned.