DONALD Trump’s shutdown has affected many US government departments including catering, with the president ‘treating’ current College Football Playoff champions to ‘thousands of hamburgers’ when they visited the White House on Monday.

The Express reports:

Mr Trump’s government shutdown has seen Government departments close their doors for nearly one month. The president ordered the action – the second during his first term – over an ongoing row on funding for his controversial Mexico wall. The resulting shutdown, which began on December 22 resulted in a lapse in funding for nine departments – affecting around one-fourth of government activities and around 800,000 employees.

Departments and agencies that control national parks, food standards and the aviation industry have ceased in daily operations while the President continue to blame democrats, who currently control the House of Representatives – for refusing his request for funding.

But it seems Mr Trump’s shutdown has also affected White House caterers – with the president offering a “fast food feast” to visitors on Monday evening.

College Football Playoff Champions the Clemson Tigers, who won their final game on January 7, arrived on Monday for a White House visit.

But on arrival, they were served the feast, which the White House claimed was paid for by Mr Trump himself.

Earlier in the day, the president said: “I think we are going to serve McDonald’s, Wendy’s, Domino’s and Burger Kings with some pizza. I really mean it. It will be interesting.

I” would think that’s their favourite food. So, we’ll see what happens.”

And true to his word the President laid on a banquet of burgers from a variety of chains such as McDonald’s, Wendy’s, Burger King and more.

Mr Trump told reporters at the start of the event: “We ordered American fast food. Paid for by me. Lots of hamburgers, lots of pizza, I think they’d like it better than anything we could give.”

“We have some very large people that like eating, so I think we’re gonna have a little fun.”

“We have pizzas, we have 300 hamburgers, many, many french fries, all of our favourite foods. I want to see what’s here when we leave, because I don’t think it’s going to be much.”

The president told the football champions on their arrival: “’I had a choice: do we have no food for you, because we have a shutdown, or do we give you some little quick salads that first lady will make, along with the second lady; they’ll make some salads.

“And I said, “You guys aren’t into salads.’ … Or do I send out for about 1,000 hamburgers?”

“We have Big Macs, we have Quarter Pounders with cheese. We have everything that I like, that you like, and I know no matter what we did, there’s nothing you could have that’s better than that, right?”

At the end of the dinner Trump said: “To all of the amazing athletes here today, that wiped more food than any human being has ever seen before, including me — I’ve never seen so much — thank you for inspiring America.”

Deputy press secretary Hogan Gidley told CNN of trump’s decision to feed the players with junk food: “The president wanted to host a fun event to celebrate the College Football National Champion Clemson Tigers.”

Mr Gidley said: “Because the Democrats refuse to negotiate on border security, much of the residence staff at the White House is furloughed. So the president is personally paying for the event to be catered with some of everyone’s favourite fast foods.”

H/T express.co.uk