Trump Ordered Tillerson To Eat A Wilted Caesar Salad At A State Dinner In China

It's important to eat your vegetables, even for former Secretary of State Rex Tillerson. The 65-year-old was fired from his cabinet post on March 13, which the President Donald Trump announced via Twitter. But perhaps even more humiliating is that Trump reportedly ordered America's senior diplomat to eat a wilted Caesar salad during a state dinner hosted by President Xi Jinping at China's Great Hall of the People in Beijing on November 9.

"Rex, eat the salad," said Trump, who was concerned the untouched plate might offend the hosts, according to The Wall Street Journal. Tillerson, the former CEO of ExxonMobil and onetime president of the Boy Scouts of America, reportedly laughed politely.

There's no word on whether the secretary of state eventually ate the anchovy-laden appetizer. It is also unclear if 45 ate his own limp greens — the president is not known as a salad fan, whereas he has expressed appreciation for chocolate cake, McDonald's Quarter Pounders, deep-fried macaroni and cheese, and Diet Coke.

The menu for the high-profile event also included items such as stewed beef steak in tomato sauce, braised vegetables in broth, grouper fillets in hot chile oil, and Kung Pao chicken, as well as dry red and white wines made by China's largest wine enterprise, Great Wall Wine, which is based at the foot of the Hebei stretch of the famous landmark.

Similarly, Barack Obama dined on Chinese-style beef steak, stir-fried wild rice stem and asparagus, and roasted grouper with red and white wine during a visit to China in 2009 — but 44 and 45 don't usually share the same tastes.