Skip to main content

FM
Former Member

Donald Trump, 'flacid dumplings' and the short-fingered feud

 
Donald Trump and a gold sharpie

As president-elect of the United States, Donald Trump is a very busy man. But that's not stopped him carrying on a long-running Twitter feud.

It involves Vanity Fair magazine, some "flaccid" dumplings and gold sharpie pens.

He's been tweeting about the magazine after it gave one of his restaurants a dreadful review.

But this particular row goes back more than 25 years.


What can President Trump actually do?

Then, for Donald Trump, the important task of appointing his team for when he becomes president.

But in the middle of that he found the time to tweet about Vanity Fair.

He didn't explain why he's so angry with the magazine and its editor Graydon Carter.

But maybe, just maybe, it has something to do with a review of the Trump Grill restaurant that appeared in the magazine.

The writer didn't hold back. For example, there were the "flaccid, gray Szechuan dumplings with their flaccid, gray innards".

But they weren't the only disappointments.

"The steak slumped to the side over the potatoes like a dead body inside a T-boned minivan."

Or this description of a burger: "Sad little meat thing, sitting in the center of a massive, rapidly staling brioche bun, hiding its shame under a slice of melted orange cheese."

And the review carried on until way after the bill had been paid: "It was slop: as soon as I got home, I brushed my teeth twice and curled up in bed until the nausea passed."

But that's just the beginning of the story.

Spy magazine

'Short-fingered vulgarian'

It goes back to 1988 when Graydon Carter worked for a magazine called Spy and Donald Trump was just your average billionaire.

The writer started calling Trump "a short-fingered vulgarian" - saying he did it "just to drive him a little bit crazy."

It seems to have worked.

He explained in Vanity Fair last year that Donald Trump still sends him "occasional" envelopes.

He wrote: "There is always a photo of himβ€”generally a tear sheet from a magazine.

"On all of them he has circled his hand in gold Sharpie in a valiant effort to highlight the length of his fingers.

"I almost feel sorry for the poor fellow because, to me, the fingers still look abnormally stubby."

Donald Trump

He said the most recent envelope arrived just before Donald Trump decided to run for President.

"Like the other packages, this one included a circled hand and the words, also written in gold Sharpie, 'See, not so short!'

"I sent the picture back by return mail with a note attached, saying: 'Actually, quite short.'"

As you would imagine, Twitter users have waded in on this latest twist.

Find us on Instagram at BBCNewsbeat and follow us on Snapchat, search for bbc_newsbeat

Replies sorted oldest to newest

Add Reply

×
×
×
×
×
Link copied to your clipboard.
×
×