Trump's praise for McDonald's Filet-O-Fish sparks nostalgia — and a saucy debate

President Donald Trump has put one of McDonald's most iconic sandwiches back in the spotlight. 

His recent remarks at the company's 2025 Impact Summit in Washington, D.C., have reignited conversation about the decades-old Filet-O-Fish, which began as a Lenten experiment in the 1960s.

The president, a longtime McDonald's fan, praised the fish sandwich during his speech Monday and offered a small suggestion for improvement — but his fondness for the fast-food chain is nothing new. He's spoken about it since his 2016 campaign. 

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In 2024, a photo of Trump, Donald Trump Jr., Elon Musk and Robert F. Kennedy Jr. eating McDonald's aboard Trump's private plane went viral. The president's order included a Filet-O-Fish, according to reports.

But the menu item itself dates back to when the president was still in high school.

The idea for the Filet-O-Fish was conceived in 1962, when Cincinnati franchisee Lou Groen noticed a drop in Friday sales in his predominantly Catholic neighborhood.

He proposed a breaded fish sandwich for customers who abstained from eating meat on Fridays in observance of Lent, according to a 2016 statement from McDonald's.

Ray Kroc, the McDonald's founder, was skeptical of the idea and proposed an alternative, the Hula Burger, which was a slice of grilled pineapple and cheese on a bun. He and Groen agreed to test both sandwiches one Friday; whichever sandwich sold the most would be added to the menu permanently.

Kroc was so confident his Hula Burger would beat the Filet-O-Fish in sales that he made a side bet with an employee that whoever lost would buy the other a new suit.

The fish sandwich beat out its fruity competitor in sales by a whopping 350 to 6. 

"Fred got a new suit and McDonald's got the Filet-O-Fish," McDonald's company historian Mike Bullington said in the release.

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In 1965, the Filet-O-Fish, which has a more complicated cooking process than other menu items, was added permanently for 29 cents, making it the first non-hamburger sandwich offering.

When Groen died in 2011, his son recalled, "Barely doing $300 in daily sales back in 1962, my father needed that fish sandwich to survive and compete against other restaurants."

He added, "I can't believe how the creation of the Filet-O-Fish has made such an impact on McDonald's and the U.S. fishing industry … My father would be amazed at how his hard work made such a positive difference."

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The Filet-O-Fish made McDonald's a major buyer of whitefish in the U.S. and helped drive long-term demand for sustainably sourced pollock nationally, according to the company.

It's also popular internationally — from Russia to Japan to India — and features regional twists such as wasabi versions in Asia and Old Bay tartar sauce at some U.S. restaurants, according to McDonald's.

Yet fans, including Trump, still have some suggestions on how to make the meatless option even better.

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"You could do a little bit more tartar sauce, though, please," Trump also said during his recent remarks, adding that he hates having to ask for more sauce. "Seriously."

Responding to a "LiveNOW from FOX" Facebook post about his speech, many people said the sandwich was their go-to, but also agreed with his critique.

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"Agree!" one woman exclaimed. "I have to ask for extra tartar sauce."

"PREACH," one man commented. "The F-O-F is magnificent, but sometimes they do not give you the full squeeze of tartar sauce, so it's a little dry. I always ask for extra as a result."

Meanwhile, many have wondered why the sandwich — made with a breaded fish fillet, tartar sauce and a steamed bun — comes with only half a slice of American cheese.

Some have speculated it's a cost-saving move, but McDonald's has said it dates back to Groen's original 1962 recipe.

"The Filet-O-Fish has always come with a half slice of cheese," the company said in a 2022 X post. "This is to save on the flavor of the sandwich."

The company noted that customers can request a full slice of cheese when ordering.

Other fans have their own creative hacks for the sandwich, which have gone viral over the years.

In a Reddit thread, someone suggested requesting additional fish patties to make the sandwich a double, or even a triple, to get a "much better fish-to-bread ratio."

On TikTok, Illinois-based chef Mike Haracz, a former McDonald's corporate chef, suggested swapping tartar sauce for Big Mac sauce.

"It's actually much better with Big Mac sauce, so do that next time," he said in a 2023 post.

Fox News Digital reached out to McDonald's for comment.