7 Food Commercials Donald Trump Has Starred In

Somewhere in between making his name in the family business of real estate and becoming president of the United States twice over, Donald J. Trump acquired SAG-AFTRA membership. While Trump later quit SAG-AFTRA and was barred from rejoining, there was a time when Trump was a somewhat familiar presence on the commercial circuit. After becoming famous in the 1980s for his gilded New York City playboy lifestyle, opportunity for endorsements followed. By the end of the decade he was starring in his first food commercial — a side gig that would see him feature in a handful of ads over the following years.

Trump's commercials each serve as their own interesting time capsules, a peek into a relatively innocent past before he entered politics and polarized a nation on his way to the highest office in the land. Trump's relationship with food has already been well documented, and many of his ad appearances have centered on the low-brow eats and chain restaurants where he proudly indulges.

Starting with a soft drink and ending with a cookie, let's take a little YouTube-aided journey through the many edible products Donald Trump has hawked on screen for an agreed-upon sum. Marvel at the pixelated videos and how both his hair and persona have barely changed over the decades. Experience for yourself the seven food commercials featuring Donald Trump. Because when does anyone ever get a chance to hear this guy talk?

This blast from the past is brimming with contradiction, since Diet Coke is very much Donald Trump's go-to (which certainly doesn't thrill Robert F. Kennedy Jr., who heads the Department of Health and Human Services). The beverage isn't just Trump's go-to soft drink, but his go-to liquid, period. He's been known to crush up to a dozen during a wake cycle. This prodigious consumption is aided by the Diet Coke button he reinstalled in the Oval Office upon resumption of his presidency. Clearly, just because he took a check from Pepsi nearly 40 years ago doesn't mean he had to stop drinking his preferred soda.

The commercial itself is a short one, lasting around 15 seconds. It shows Trump being escorted into an elevator amid a cacophony of questioning reporters and flashing cameras. The ad was part of a campaign called "The Fight Before the Fight", tying into the Mike Tyson and Michael Spinks heavyweight championship bout of that year (Tyson himself starred in the companion spot seen directly after in this video).

In the ad, Trump confirms that not one but two champions will be crowned the night of the fight. This was a reference to Diet Pepsi allegedly defeating Diet Coke in consumer taste tests. The entire campaign was a bit controversial. Not only in regards to the boxing match — which Tyson won in under two minutes — but Coca-Cola tried to get the ads taken off the air, claiming that "their claims are unsubstantiated" (via Los Angeles Times). Old rivalries die hard.

Donald Trump married his first wife, the late Ivana Zelníčková, in 1977. Their relationship produced three children: Donald Jr., Ivanka, and Eric. After Trump began an affair with his eventual second wife, Marla Maples, Ivana filed for divorce in 1990. Bygones must have been bygones at some point because five years later, they starred in this Pizza Hut ad together.

The commercial, promoting Pizza Hut's famous stuffed crust pizza, directly spoofs the ex-couple's very public and highly contentious separation. In it, they seem to flirt with the idea of reuniting, no matter how wrong it may seem. Turns out the wrong thing in question is eating pizza backwards, before the Donald himself bites into a stuffed crust slice, quipping to a hungry Ivana that she was "only entitled to half" of the pie (via YouTube). (The deeper irony here is that Trump never eats the crust on pizza and instead scrapes off the toppings.)

Pizza Hut has never been shy about taking product risks, even to this day. For proof, just see the likes of Pizza Hut's personal flatbreads, aka Crafted Flatzz, and the release of a Spicy Hawaiian Lover's pizza. The now-iconic stuffed crust pizza overcame initial apprehension within the company to become a global success, inspiring many copycats at other pizzerias and supported by other humorous celebrity endorsements, including spots starring Ringo Starr, The Monkees, and Rush Limbaugh.

Pizza Hut would return to Trump five years later for another commercial. This time, it promoted the chain's Big New Yorker pizza. The spot fit Trump's persona to a tee. Not only is the would-be president interspersed with slick, busy, exaggerated shots of the megalopolis where he was born and made his name, but Trump gets to compare himself to Napoleon and Alexander the Great. Though this may have come off as tongue-in-cheek at the time, associations with these heads of state would prove all too prescient.

However, nobody in the U.S. would have seen this commercial at the time, as it only aired in Australia (hence the Aussie narrator). Pizza Hut had been at war with Domino's in the Down Under pizza industry since the early '80s. It reigned supreme over its rival for years, but this commercial ran just as the tide was turning, and Domino's soon became the market champion. By 2023, Domino's yearly revenue reached AUD $1.2 billion. Pizza Hut took home only a fraction of that, with revenue of around AUD $265 million. Turns out the Trump factor could only do so much for the Hut in Aussie hearts (and stomachs).

Aside from the undoubtedly substantial endorsement check Donald Trump would get from appearing in a major national ad like this, you had to figure this one was near and dear to his heart. The Donald has had a long love affair with McDonald's, and it still features as a staple in his presidential diet. And not only that, honored guests of the White House –- like previous college football champions Clemson Tigers and North Dakota State – may even experience a McDonald's buffet as their, er, commemorative meal.

In this 30-second spot from 2002, Trump has a co-star. "A man of few words," as the future president refers to him (via YouTube). It is, of course, none other than Grimace. The commercial promoted McDonald's Dollar Menu — specifically, the Big N' Tasty.

Debuting in 1997, this burger was intended to echo Burger King's Whopper in construction. The offering had a decent run, aided for a while by its eventual $1 price. But it was ultimately discontinued from McDonald's menus in the U.S. in 2011. It's lived on in overseas markets, however, where it's billed as the Big Tasty. It's a regular fixture in Bahrain, while in the U.K., it's a seasonal burger that also comes in a festive variety during the holidays. Otherwise, years after the Trump-Grimace collab, the burger became near-nonexistent. Tough to blame the commercial for that decline, as the sight of Trump's arm over Grimace as they both overlook Central Park is, dare we say, kind of adorable?

Donald Trump obviously has no problem bouncing between rivals when it comes to endorsements. For a man who famously values loyalty, The Donald happily dispenses with brand fidelity in the fast food department. To his credit, Trump has impressive comedic timing, judging by a few of these commercials. Despite his colossal levels of self-assurance, he's open to laughing at himself — for the right paycheck, at least.

This 2005 commercial promoted Domino's 5-5-5 deal. You remember the one (unless you're Gen Z or younger): three medium pizzas, $5 each. Here, a Domino's delivery guy shows up at the gaudily golden doors of the Trump penthouse, where Trump himself answers the door. After trying to hand over the trio of $5 pizzas, the bemused worker is confronted with a "counter-offer" from the famous dealmaker. (Spoiler alert: The counter-offer is the same exact deal.)

Sales like this from Domino's seem like they come from a far-gone era of affordability (the 5-5-5 deal has long disappeared), at least judging by the customers who think it's one of the most overpriced pizza chains. But it seems like Trump still chooses Domino's as his personal go-to. He requested the chain's pizza to cater his attendance at a 2024 college football game between Alabama and Georgia.

You could say that Donald Trump and steak have an infamous history. It's a regular part of the president's extremely narrow list of favorite foods. Of course, the way Trump likes to eat his steak is quite divisive: well done to the point of overcooking, accompanied not by vegetables but by ketchup. This may disqualify him in the eyes of some from purveying his own brand of steaks. Nonetheless, that's exactly what he did.

In 2007, Trump Steaks was born. A mail-order meat service sold through The Sharper Image (yes, really) and QVC, the steaks didn't so much sizzle as fizzle. After two months, the alarmingly expensive service was dropped by The Sharper Image. Its then-CEO claimed they sold practically no steaks with the venture. Yikes. Maybe everyone was afraid you had to cook and serve them to The Donald's preference. Or maybe the idea of spending between $200 and $1,000 on mail-order Trump beef was wildly unappealing to the average consumer. Either way, the whole thing was an unmitigated failure.

Nonetheless, a commercial starring the man himself was made. Not a typical TV ad, as such, as the promotional video lasts nearly two minutes. It sees Trump hawking what he unabashedly — and with a straight face — calls "The World's Greatest Steaks" (via YouTube). It's an odd spot, admittedly. Who exactly is Trump meant to be yelling this pitch to? Who even had access to this video? Apparently, the answer was practically no one.

Grimace and Ivana Trump aside, this Oreo commercial was Trump's first food ad with proper celebrity co-stars. Airing in 2009 to promote Oreo Golden Double Stuf cookies, this was Trump at the height of "The Apprentice" and his reality TV fame.

In the spot, Trump sits across a desk from the Manning brothers, Peyton and Eli. He explains to the football greats that Oreo rejected his bid to buy the DSRL (the Double Stuf Racing League, for those who have too much on their mind to remember the campaign).

What does Trump propose? A lick race, of course. Against the defending lick-race champions sat before him. But Trump needs a partner. Who emerges from behind a secret spinning wall in the office? Another Trump. Or rather, former "Saturday Night Live" star Darrell Hammond, reprising his famous Trump impression from the show. "It's Double Trump," Peyton dramatically murmurs (via YouTube). It's fair to wonder what a lot of people would think of that notion these days. Hey, at least Oreo has moved on to yummy collabs with Krispy Kreme. Who needs politics?