Happy Cinco de Oh My Oh, the cringe-worthy May 5 holiday wherein people like Donald J. Trump eat taco bowls and exclaim their love for Hispanics.
The internet seems to be blowing up with the news that The Donald had the Trump Tower Grill’s Taco Fiesta! Special of the Day, a taco bowl on Cinco de Mayo.
Posting a smiling mug of himself on Facebook, he insults pretty much the universe saying, “Happy Cinco de Mayo! The best taco bowls are made in Trump Tower Grill. I love Hispanics!”
Here’s the problem with that whole post…
1. Cinco de Mayo isn’t a “Hispanic” holiday. It’s a Mexican holiday celebrating the Mexican Army’s victory over French forces at the Battle of Puebla.
2. Taco bowls aren’t Mexican OR Hispanic. Kinda like Tikka Masala isn’t Indian. And General Tso’s Chicken? You guessed it, NOT Chinese. They’re white-people inventions. Mexicans don’t eat taco salad. I asked.
3. $13.50 for a taco salad is idiotic, just in general. I mean, really.
4. If you’re going to eat one, Trump Tower Grill probably doesn’t make the best. I’ve heard they’re pretty good at Denny’s though.
5. Hispanic voters might not be wowed by this effort to win them over after, you know, some of Trump’s more colorful commentary.
I mean, all politics aside, do you think Donald Trump eating a taco bowl seemed like an olive branch to Hispanic voters? Seems like a long shot. But so did Trump’s campaign 9 months ago, so…
In fairness, I tried to find out what Bernie and Hillary were having for lunch on this auspicious holiday, though nothing seems to be posted as of yet.
What I did learn was that apparently Bernie is something of a “foodie” according to the Washington Post, liking pinot noir and tandoori pork, prime rib, fresh tomatoes and we suspect, Ben and Jerry’s “Bernie’s Yearning” ice cream flavor. Seems pretty safe, right? Maybe he’s a closet fan of the taco salad.
Hillary, we know loves her a Chipotle burrito bowl (also, shockingly, not real Mexican), but at least she’s not giving a thumbs-up on Cinco de Mayo…yet.
BTW, I’ll eat crow instead
Yeah. I’ve got a mea culpa too. I wrote this story, which doesn’t exactly advance the cause of respecting the Mexican holiday. But I also wrote this story, of great local spots for AUTHENTIC Mexican and other Hispanic foods, which you really should read. Personally I hate taco salads, but mostly because they are super fattening and not all that great.
Whatever your politics, your race or your food preferences, Happy Cinco de Mayo. Go celebrate in whatever way makes you happy. But preferably not wearing a sombrero or eating a taco bowl to show how much you love Hispanics.
Here’s the menu.
NOTE: This was meant to be a lighthearted piece about food and cinco de mayo, and an example of a public figure not getting either one. My politics aren’t involved. I’ve turned off the comments, because they didn’t inspire much faith in the human race.