fb-pixelTrump’s team says chowder is back on the inaugural menu - The Boston Globe Skip to main content

Trump’s team says chowder is back on the inaugural menu

Donald Trump will be the sixth president to celebrate his new job with Legal Seafoods’ clam chowder. Lane Turner/Globe Staff/File

WASHINGTON — Legal Sea Foods says it will be serving traditional clam chowder during Friday’s inaugural ceremonies after all, making Donald Trump the sixth president to celebrate his new job with the New England specialty.

The Boston company got word from Trump’s Presidential Inaugural Committee Thursday morning that the chowder would be included, Legal chief executive Roger Berkowitz said.

“We’re just happy that the tradition continues,” Berkowitz said.

He had no further details, including when or where the chowder would be offered or how much the Trump team was requesting. A Trump spokeswoman did not reply to a request for comment.

Advertisement



The company has a long tradition of donating chowder to the incoming president, regardless of party. But The Boston Globe reported last week that Trump’s team, which is upending a number of Washington customs, was unaware of the chowder ritual and that the company had struggled to get the attention of inauguration officials.

The possibility of breaking the tradition prompted a local outcry in Boston, where some branded the episode “chowdergate.”

Trump’s campaign cochair in Massachusetts, state Representative Geoff Diehl, told WBZ that Trump should “Make seafood great again” and would press the president-elect to reconsider.

“I will make sure that Massachusetts gets its due,” he told WBZ.

Even Massachusetts’ governor was asked about the stir as word began to filter through Boston that Trump’s people were in talks with the company to work out a way to serve the stuff.

“That’s good to know; I’m glad to hear that,” said Governor Charlie Baker when asked by New England Cable News.

“Lets face it. There’s nothing quite like clam chowder from Boston.”


Annie Linskey can be reached at annie.linskey@globe.com. Follow her on Twitter @annielinskey.