Don Lemon Mocks Debate Over Joe And Jill Biden Having Same Pasta Dish — Then Debates Joe And Jill Biden Having Same Pasta Dish
CNN devoted a segment to mocking the debate about President Joe Biden and First Lady Dr. Jill Biden ordering the same pasta dish at a restaurant — then holding that same debate.
It started innocently enough with a note from the White House two weeks ago noting that “The President and First Lady are having dinner at Red Hen.”
About an hour later, a pool report noted “POTUS departed Red Hen around 7:47pm with many in the restaurant standing up to applaud him on the way out. There were also observers gathered across the street and behind pool that cheered as they saw him and FLOTUS enter vehicle.”
In between, Jill Biden’s husband and Jill Biden committed the apparent sacrilege of ordering the same dish, a controversy that bubbled up this week thanks to a Washington Post piece by Emily Heil entitled “The Bidens ordered the same dish at a restaurant. Who does that?”
On Thursday morning’s edition of CNN This Morning, anchor Don Lemon mocked the story with a witheringly sarcastic summation — which was followed by his co-anchors and guest debating the very same point of epicurean etiquette:
DON LEMON: It’s really important. But now for the really important stuff. Getting an inside look at the first couple’s most recent date night, which has a lot of people talking. Why? Well President Biden and First Lady Jill Biden hit the town last weekend at a well-known D.C. restaurant, The Red Hen. They shared some wine, some bread and a salad. Pretty standard date procedure, right?
Well, this is where things get a little more interesting because, maybe even controversial? Because according to The Washington Post, for the entree portion, the president ordered the rigatoni with fennel sausage ragu, and the first lady ordered the same thing! The mezzi rigatoni, the sausage ragu, rigatoni for the POTUS rigatoni for the FLOTUS. There’s a song in there, I like that.
I have heard from a very reliable source, a certain CNN This Morning co-anchor here who knows the D.C. scene very well. Says the pasta they ordered, possibly the best thing on the menu. But you’ve got to ask, why not share? Or try two different pastas?
Okay, so all of that in jest. But we know, we’re talking about this. Honestly. We were like, why is this a story? Well, I’ll tell you, Tim and I order the same thing all the time. I mean…
POPPY HARLOW: Yes, we do all the time too. What’s the scoop?
ARLETTE SAENZ: I mean, when I went to the Red Hen, I ordered the rigatoni. That’s, like my favorite dish. And if you think about the Bidens, they love pasta. They love red sauce pasta. And so it’s not entirely surprising, I think, that, you know, they’ve been married for so long that they’re fine doing things their own way. And if they both want to get the same dish, they’re both going to get the same dish.
KAITLAN COLLINS: People say you’re supposed to order something different.
DON LEMON: Why didn’t you bring us the pasta?
ARLETTE SAENZ: Why didn’t I bring it?
DON LEMON: Why didn’t you bring us the Red Hen pasta?
ARLETTE SAENZ: I’m never going to be invited back.
POPPY HARLOW: Yes, I agree with Kaitlan that you should order something different and then reach over the table.
(CROSSTALK)
KAITLAN COLLINS: Yeah, I do think typically that’s the debate is that people that you’re supposed to order something different, be adventurous.
DON LEMON: But you’ve had it, you love it.
KAITLAN COLLINS: It’s really good. Arlette and I have both had it. It’s an institution in D.C. Everyone should go to the Red Hen.
POPPY HARLOW: Okay.
DON LEMON: Red Hen, send us some of that pasta. We would love to have it here on the set.
By the way in case you were wondering: no, not that Red Hen.
Watch above via CNN This Morning.
