By now, despite how much he thinks people love him, Donald Trump should have a clue that not everyone wants to sit with him. The president is once again facing scrutiny over the company he keeps and the people who have openly avoided spending time around him after backlash erupted over a recent W hite House Correspondents’ Dinner shooting. Old comments from celebrities and public figures who once admitted they refused to break bread or share private settings with Trump have started circulating again online. Critics argue that those past warnings are hitting differently amid his increasingly combative public behavior. US President Donald Trump has rubbed some people the wrong way who never wanted to have a seat at his table. (Photo by ANDREW CABALLERO-REYNOLDS / AFP via Getty Images) A gunman caused chaos at the White House Correspondents’ Dinner after allegedly trying to breach security near the ballroom where Trump and top officials were gathered. Secret Service agents were forced to rush attendees to safety on April 26. Trump collapsed to the ground and was carried away by security while others crawled to safety. Now weeks later, critics are reviewing clips and comparing. A TV personality once described a 2016 Hanoi dinner with Barack Obama as low-key but memorable. Video shows the two eating at a small, no-frills noodle spot, and the Secret Service wasn’t thrilled about being packed into another room. The reception was much different when asked about a sit-down with Trump. ‘Ugh …I Wouldn’t Eat That’: Donald Trump’s Lavish Mar-a-Lago Dinner Sparks Outrage After One Wild Detail on the Menu Has Fans Spiraling ‘So Creepy’: Trump’s Celebration Dinner Sparks Confusion After Viewers Realize He’s the Only One Eating — Then the Odd Seating Arrangement Starts Raising More Eyebrows Popular chef Anthony Bourdain once made it crystal clear he wouldn’t share a meal with Trump under any circumstances — not even for the story. Known for traveling the globe and sharing meals with people from vastly different cultures, Bourdain passed away in 2018. He had a few rules about who deserved a seat at his table — and Trump didn’t make the cut. “I’m open to sitting down with anyone who’s nice to me,” he said in a 2017 interview clip with CBC’s “The National.” “I just find him personally objectionable,” he added, later explaining, “I don’t think he likes food.” Boudain went on to say, “From people I know who have had to endure dinner with him. … If you enjoy sitting there listening to him talk about himself, you know, great. God bless you.” @nowthisimpact Anthony Bourdain has sat down with Hezbollah and KGB spies, but he’d never eat with Trump. ♬ original sound – NowThis Impact With his trademark humor, he poked fun at Trump’s well-known preference for well-done steaks. He even joked that the president might not know how to use chopsticks or “grasp them with those tiny little nubbins.” The comments sounded like what he might have said on television. As clips of the interview circulated online, social media lit up with reactions from fans who remembered his honesty. One X user who recently watched the clip said, “Even Anthony Bourdain knew Donald Trump has always been trash.” “Anthony Bourdain was a beautiful human, He is truly missed dearly,” one person wrote on TikTok. Another user added, “Cooked the orange clown.” Another said his response was perfect writing, “Nailed It.” A fifth commenter chimed in, “The spies im sure had more class, grace and intelligence. Im sure a lot more interesting too,” while someone else commented, “And he didn’t even see the worst of him that we’re seeing now.” When other fans joined in, saying, “Bourdain was right on point.” Others have been creative in making sure Trump knows they would never sit with him because of his war-hungry politics. In one public confrontation, activists from the group Codepink interrupted a meal at Joe’s Seafood, Prime Steak Stone Crab. They yelled, “Free D.C. Free Palestine, Trump is the Hitler of our time.” This instantly ruined his and his Cabinet members’ night. View this post on Instagram A post shared by Atlanta Black Star (@atlblackstar) Yet the story remains layered. Despite public opinion, Trump still tries to project strength and loyalty to his supporters. But those displays can be just as memorable as the criticism. During a visit to his golf resort in suburban Miami in March, guests inside a dining hall rose to their feet and applauded as he entered the room. One woman could be heard shouting, “USA!” followed by, “We love you, Mr. President!” — a spontaneous show of enthusiasm that underscored his enduring base of admirers. In many ways, the talk around Bourdain’s resurfaced comments shows a simple truth about public life: praise and pushback often happen at the same time. They arrive weeks ahead of actor Dominic Sessa’s lead role as a 19-year-old Bourdain in the Anthony Bourdain biopic, “Tony.” It follows the chef working his first restaurant job at Ciro and Sal’s in Provincetown in the mid-’70s. ‘Nailed It’: Chef’s Refusal to Break Bread with Trump Hits Different After That White House Correspondents Dinner and Viewers Say He Was Spot On ...read more read less