Does Joe Biden Use A Food Taster To Avoid Poisoning?

A lot of resources and a lot of money go into keeping the president of the United States safe. Typically we think about this protection in the form of the Secret Service working to keep the Commander-in-Chief safe from attacks from weapons. According to Google Arts and Culture, roughly $5 billion is budgeted toward the Secret Service and keeping the President safe.

The site reports that the $5 billion is spent on both personnel and equipment. That includes Air Force One, the plane the president flies on, along with two other planes that fly with the President, as well as helicopters, armored SUVs, and more than 6,000 staff members.

Of course, someone who wants to harm the President may not do so using traditional weapons. In fact, in 2020, CNBC reported that mail intended for the White House had been contaminated with a dangerous substance. It was found at a screening facility before the mail arrived onsite at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue. 

So we know the President is being protected from physical attackers, and we know that the leader of the free world's mail is being screened. But is someone making sure the President's food is safe before it's consumed?

Whether there's somebody out there tasing a president's food before has always been up for debate — but there is evidence that such a position exists. The Sydney Morning Herald reported in 2009 that when then-President Barack Obama visited a French restaurant, someone had to eat the food before the president.

That wasn't the first time that President Obama had his supposed food testers make headlines. According to The Daily Mail, the former president once attended a luncheon with Republicans but opted not to eat the food because he didn't have his food testers on hand with him to check on it first. 

Other Presidents have seemingly had food tasters as well. A 2001 article from The New York Times said that "Navy mess specialists" travel around the world with the President. The Times even called these individuals "tasters." 

Despite all these reports that a presidential taster exists, a former executive chef at the White House previously told The Washingtonian that no such position exists. However, he did tell the publication that all food that is prepared for the President is carefully supervised to prevent any malfeasance. 

Given there's previous evidence that a presidential food taster exists, one would think President Joe Biden has one as well. But it's still not totally clear. There previously was a Linkedin job posting looking for a food taster at the White House beginning on President Biden's first day in office. 

But as The Washingtonian reports, it's unclear if the job posting was real. The job listing says, "Daily duties will include eating the finest foods and occasional corn pops to ensure they are safe for the leader of the free world." And the mention of corn pops is making people think it isn't real. It's also worth noting that the individual who posted the job is someone named Anthony Mandra who is a software engineer and appears to have no affiliation whatsoever to the White House or the U.S. government. 

So whether the 46th President of the U.S. has a food taster remains unknown. There doesn't appear to be much news reporting about food tasters specifically for President Biden. All we have is past evidence that food tasters have existed in the White House. And if we believe that previous presidents had food tasters, it only makes sense to believe the same goes for Joe Biden.