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Politics - News Analysis

Trump Requires Salt and Pepper Shakers That Are Bigger Than Everyone Else’s

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Donald Trump tries to display his power in many ways… from firm handshakes, a second scoop of ice cream, and … towering salt and pepper shakers?

Mark Knoller, CBS News’ White House correspondent, pointed out how much bigger Trump’s shakers were in a tweet on Thursday.

And if you look through photos of Trump eating with others, it appears Trump more often than not gets much larger salt and pepper shakers than other foreign leaders or American politicians when dining at the White House.

Looking back at photos of previous presidents, we couldn’t find any photos of Trump’s most recent predecessors using larger shakers than those of their guests.

The large shakers might just be because he enjoys salty foods like KFC chicken, Big Macs, and bacon and eggs. But it could also be another power move, alongside his fierce handshakes and bulky suits.

These photos show how much bigger Trump’s White House salt and pepper shakers usually are than everyone else’s, and how they compare to those of Presidents Bill Clinton, George W. Bush, and Barack Obama.

Start with Bill Clinton, it appears he and Vice President Al Gore ate lunch with typical, nondescript salt and pepper shakers.

George W. Bush seemed to up the salt and pepper game with fancier shakers, but still the same size as his guests.

When Vice President Joe Biden joined President Obama for lunch in the private dining room of the White House, the shakers were equal.

White House meals changed when Trump became president. When he dined with the emir of Kuwait in the Cabinet Room in September 2017, they reportedly shared a laugh at the expense of the media, but they didn’t share shakers — Trump’s were far larger.

Trump’s shakers were again larger than everyone else’s when he dined with the United Nations Security Council at the White House in early 2018.

The trend continued in March 2018. Even Secretary of Energy Rick Perry got the small shakers.

Trump continued his shaker tradition when he met again with the UN Security Council in late 2019.

Now, does Trump really need a larger salt shaker than everyone else? Of course not.

We’re guessing it is yet another one of Trump’s power moves.

Trump’s handshake is likely the most recognizable of his power moves. We’ll actually dip into a few different aspects of the handshake, but keep an eye out for it the next time you see him on the news. It all stems from the idea that a weak handshake transmits a weak character. And as a result, Trump goes over the top to have a strong, firm shake.

Aside from Trump’s violent handshakes, the shove is probably the most memorable physical action he’s made since becoming president. The incident, of course, was caught on camera. And in short, it was Trump fighting his way to the front of a pack of NATO leaders, presumably because he wanted a photo-op. It was awkward but yet another method of establishing dominance and exerting control over the situation.

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