- Oct 17, 2011
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Washington Post Department of Data
Do Republicans and Democrats dine differently?
Thus began our effort to glean gems of dining wisdom from the seemingly mundane depths of the nation’s campaign finance reports.
First, we scoured the reports for every food-related receipt filed between January 2023 and Sept. 20, 2024, turning up bills for everything from coffee runs to high-dollar catered affairs. With a little spade work, we found evidence that food has played a starring role at key moments in the race — like the late-night order Vice President Kamala Harris put in for Andy’s Pizza in D.C. the night President Joe Biden dropped out and endorsed her (a detail first reported by the New York Times and confirmed in our analysis).
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So where do the major candidates like to eat?
For Trump, the answer is frequently McDonald’s. His campaign is responsible for virtually all the $35,900 federal candidates have spent at the fast food chain since January 2023 — $31,000 or about 86 percent. Overall, Republicans have spent about 28 times as much as Democrats at the Golden Arches, our analysis shows — revealing the Big Mac and the Egg McMuffin as some of the most polarized menu items in American politics.
Republican campaigns also showed a huge preference for Chick-fil-A, spending more than $200,000 at the Atlanta-based fried chicken chain with Christian roots — about 20 times more than Democrats.
[Data organized by major cuisine}
[Data on steak]
Capital Grille on Pennsylvania Avenue is a mere six blocks away [from the Capitol in DC]. Campaigns — mostly Republicans — have made more than 600 visits and spent more than $570,000 at the stately steakhouse at the D.C. location and another $80,000 at other locations around the country.
Do Republicans and Democrats dine differently?
Thus began our effort to glean gems of dining wisdom from the seemingly mundane depths of the nation’s campaign finance reports.
First, we scoured the reports for every food-related receipt filed between January 2023 and Sept. 20, 2024, turning up bills for everything from coffee runs to high-dollar catered affairs. With a little spade work, we found evidence that food has played a starring role at key moments in the race — like the late-night order Vice President Kamala Harris put in for Andy’s Pizza in D.C. the night President Joe Biden dropped out and endorsed her (a detail first reported by the New York Times and confirmed in our analysis).
--
So where do the major candidates like to eat?
For Trump, the answer is frequently McDonald’s. His campaign is responsible for virtually all the $35,900 federal candidates have spent at the fast food chain since January 2023 — $31,000 or about 86 percent. Overall, Republicans have spent about 28 times as much as Democrats at the Golden Arches, our analysis shows — revealing the Big Mac and the Egg McMuffin as some of the most polarized menu items in American politics.
Republican campaigns also showed a huge preference for Chick-fil-A, spending more than $200,000 at the Atlanta-based fried chicken chain with Christian roots — about 20 times more than Democrats.
[Data organized by major cuisine}
[Data on steak]
Capital Grille on Pennsylvania Avenue is a mere six blocks away [from the Capitol in DC]. Campaigns — mostly Republicans — have made more than 600 visits and spent more than $570,000 at the stately steakhouse at the D.C. location and another $80,000 at other locations around the country.
