Donald Trump Will Only Eat Part Of This Beloved Italian Food

As is the case with all presidents, the public are fascinated with Donald Trump's eating habits. Because of this, it has been well documented that Trump likes to order his steak well done and that he has a real soft spot for fast food. What fewer people know, however, is that, when faced with a pizza, this president only eats the toppings. To be more specific, Trump uses a knife and fork to scrape the toppings off his pizza before eating them. He usually doesn't eat any of the crust at all. (While odd, given the Trump family's other eating habits, this isn't all that strange.)

Trump doesn't eat his pizza this way because he doesn't like the crust; he's previously stated that he doesn't eat any of the cooked dough in an attempt to avoid putting on weight. (For a similar reason, Trump has also been known to order his burgers with only half a bun).

He first admitted that he ate his pizzas like this in a 2010 piece published by Us Weekly. However, the habit gained widespread attention after Trump ate pizza with Sarah Palin at a Famous Famiglia restaurant in New York during May 2011. After news of his pizza-eating style went viral, Trump even posted a video on YouTube explaining why he only eats the toppings.

Although Donald Trump has long stated that he does not eat pizza crust, there are a few instances when he has. A video of Trump eating pizza (crust and all) at Fort Myers' Downtown House of Pizza was shared online in 2023. Trump even folded the slice, suggesting that he does know how to eat pizza in the regular manner.

Trump also starred in a 1995 Pizza Hut commercial that advertised the chain's new stuffed crust pizzas (although Pizza Hut did not invent the stuffed crust). In this ad, which can be watched on YouTube, Trump stars alongside his former wife Ivana Trump and the two of them, over the course of the ad, decide to eat their pizza crust first. There is then a clear shot of Donald biting into the stuffed crust.

While this commercial seems like a bit of harmless fun, it takes on a more questionable tone right at the end when Ivana asks if she can have the last slice. Donald replies that, "Actually, you're only entitled to half," alluding to the couple's divorce which was ongoing — and very public — at this time. According to two of the writers who were working on the ad, Ivana was not happy about this scene, but Donald insisted that they shot it and that it made the final cut.