Donald Trump’s Thanksgiving Traditions Revealed — And There's No Turkey on the Menu

Donald Trump’s Thanksgiving plans have garnered attention as details about his unconventional holiday meal emerged. Unlike the traditional turkey centerpiece found on most American tables, the President-elect's plate features dishes such as his mother’s meatloaf and chopped steak, insiders reveal. Thanksgiving, widely celebrated with a spread of turkey, mashed potatoes, stuffing, cranberry sauce, and other staples, takes a different form in the Trump household. 

Shannon Donnelly, a Palm Beach Daily News reporter and Trump expert, detailed his preferences, as reported by Irish Star. Donnelly revealed that Trump typically begins his meal with a crabmeat cocktail before moving on to either chopped steak with gravy or his mother’s iconic meatloaf. Known affectionately as "Mrs. Trump’s Meatloaf" or "Trumploaf," the dish has even been featured on the website One for the Table, with a recipe reportedly provided by Trump himself.

The meatloaf’s recipe calls for two pounds of fresh ground beef, a Spanish onion, red and green bell peppers, garlic, and other ingredients. In June 2023, Ruth Anne’s, a restaurant in Columbus, Georgia, crafted their version of 'Trumploaf' ahead of a potential Trump visit for the Georgia GOP Convention. Although Trump ultimately opted for a Waffle House stop, the restaurant owner, Mary Heisey, brought the dish to him, capturing the moment on video. Trump expressed excitement, stating he would take it on his plane.

As Thanksgiving approaches, some Trump family members plan to gather at Mar-a-Lago, Trump’s estate in Florida, according to Lara Trump. Speaking on her show The Right View, she mentioned that while the family has been taking a post-election breather, they expect to enjoy a holiday dinner together.

The menu remains unclear for this year, but past Thanksgiving feasts have included a mix of traditional and luxurious dishes. In 2017, the Trumps dined on turkey, mashed potatoes, and sweet potatoes with marshmallows alongside Florida stone crab, red snapper, and an assortment of desserts, as per Newsweek. The following year’s spread expanded to include lamb, Chilean Sea Bass, and braised short ribs.

In prior years, Trump has spent Thanksgiving playing golf before returning to Mar-a-Lago for dinner. Notably, he departed from this routine in 2019, making a surprise visit to U.S. troops in Afghanistan, and in 2020, when he stayed at the White House. This year, he continues to focus on his political agenda, using his Thanksgiving message to target critics. On Truth Social, Trump wrote, "Happy Thanksgiving to all including to the Radical Left Lunatics who have worked so hard to destroy our Country, but who have miserably failed, and will always fail."

The holiday spirit didn’t stop Trump from revisiting a humorous Thanksgiving meme shared by his son, Donald Trump Jr., years ago. The video, which features Donald dancing to YMCA by The Village People while emerging from a turkey, was edited to include his Democratic rivals, prompting laughs online. The viral 'Trump dance,' originally popularized during his 2024 campaign rallies, has since been embraced by athletes during victory celebrations.