Conservative blogger and radio host Erick Erickson dunked Melania Trump’s state dinner menu as “froo-froo garbage”— so Twitter dunked on him.
After the Hill reported Monday that the first lady had put finishing touches on the White House’s menu ahead of a visit from French President Emmanuel Macron and his wife, Erickson dismissed the offerings as “unpronounceable.”
“This menu is why I could never be President,” he tweeted. “I’d serve fried chicken and mashed potatoes with sweet potato pie for dessert.”
https://twitter.com/EWErickson/status/988511434240864257
The menu items that appeared to so offend Erickson? “Rack of spring lamb with Carolina gold rice jambalaya.”
People on Twitter were confused by Erickson’s comment. Was it the lamb or jambalaya that stumped him?
Lamb & Jambalaya is unpronounceable? https://t.co/zJ8gJJ2K1h
— Jeet Heer (@HeerJeet) April 23, 2018
https://twitter.com/kennylogginson/status/988522323614556160
protip: the ‘b’ in ‘lamb’ is silent https://t.co/FWQV8qWwaR
— Sarah Jones (@onesarahjones) April 23, 2018
Even weirder: Erickson is a Jackson, Louisiana, native, so surely he’s heard of the Cajun meat and rice dish.
https://twitter.com/philrowen/status/988526327052451840
What Southerner in good standing would call jambalaya “unpronounceable froo-froo garbage?” There is nothing remotely pretentious about it. https://t.co/iR9t9K0CdR
— Anthony Michael Kreis (@AnthonyMKreis) April 23, 2018
https://twitter.com/Amanda_Kerri/status/988521225663205378
https://twitter.com/NeilBhatiya/status/988523042316935170
Jambalaya. I at least expected something nominally foreign to American palates like creme brûlée or bouillabaisse but no…he’s intimidated by jamba-friggin-laya. Do you want to Supersize that mayonnaise slushy Erick? https://t.co/iSavlTOZkx
— zeddy (@Zeddary) April 23, 2018
Jambalaya is an un-American dish enjoyed only by out-of-touch coastal elites, like Dijon mustard and coffee https://t.co/kXCWa0qpEH
— Scott Lemieux (@LemieuxLGM) April 23, 2018
Maybe Erickson was just feigning ignorance, someone suggested.
Pretending not to know what jambalaya is to own the libs: https://t.co/VmyQSwftGM
— Sarcasmitron (@afran90) April 23, 2018
And maybe he just wanted to prove a point.
Eating shittier food than you have to to own the libs. https://t.co/o5UEoQ8PR1
— Fats Durston (@FatsDurston) April 23, 2018
Either way, people helpfully pointed out that being unable or unwilling to eat jambalaya probably isn’t the only thing disqualifying Erickson from a presidential run.
https://twitter.com/jennaep7/status/988576298032353280
Well, this wasn’t the reason I would have chosen, but as long as we’re clear on the fact that you could never be President. https://t.co/7JcwxDiA6e
— Edashira 2:50 (@EdwardEOnePiece) April 23, 2018
https://twitter.com/shujaxhaider/status/988518852509294593
