Chuck Lorre’s remarks about President Donald Trump at a Los Angeles charity gala have drawn a White House response. The creator of The Big Bang Theory and Two and a Half Men called Trump a “bloated orange piece of s— in the White House” during Project Angel Food’s Sept. 26 Angel Awards, according to Entertainment Weekly.
White House spokesperson Davis Ingle told Fox News Digital that Lorre should “seek psychiatric help,” accusing him of “Trump Derangement Syndrome.” TheWrap reported the reply on Oct. 3.
The gala took place at The Chuck Lorre Family Foundation Kitchen & Campus. Project Angel Food’s meal program serves seriously ill people across Los Angeles County at no cost to clients, with dietitians and chefs developing menus around their medical needs.
Director Nikki Lorre presented her father with the Founders Angel Award, the organization’s highest honor. The nonprofit says it has bestowed the award only once before, on founder Marianne Williamson and her co-founders.
Lorre Mixed Political Jokes With Memories of Going Hungry
In the political portion of his speech, Lorre said he wanted a government that prioritized citizens’ health and welfare. He also made jokes about Trump’s health and directed personal insults at first lady Melania Trump, according to TheWrap’s account.
Lorre has previously used the brief written messages that appear after his shows’ closing credits for political commentary. In May 2017, one of those vanity cards included a 2006 Nielsen ratings chart as part of a comment about Trump’s television career, Vanity Fair reported.
“Having experienced hunger, this is personal for me,” he said in remarks reproduced by Project Angel Food. He recalled subsisting on instant ramen and what he called “ketchup soup,” saying those memories had stayed with him despite his television success.
The New Kitchen Has Capacity for More Than 4.5 Million Meals a Year
The first campus building opened on Feb. 5. According to the charity’s opening announcement, its culinary space grew from approximately 7,700 square feet to 16,000, while hot cook lines increased from one to three. The facility can produce more than 4.5 million meals annually; the nonprofit’s September gala report put its current yearly deliveries at more than 1.5 million.
Executive chef John Gordon described the old space’s limitations in a February interview with the Los Angeles Blade. Staff had to coordinate access to racks, sheet pans and chilling equipment in a temporary Lincoln Heights kitchen. The newspaper also described the team’s workday: starting at 8 a.m., checking recipes and packing previously prepared meals while cooking food for the following day.
At the opening, the nonprofit also announced a $1.15 million matching pledge from Lorre’s foundation toward its expansion campaign. Larger freezer, storage and distribution areas would allow the organization to keep roughly three weeks of frozen meals in reserve, up from two days, to help maintain deliveries during emergencies.
The next phase is the Community Outreach Center. In its post-gala announcement, Project Angel Food said it planned to break ground in October. The center is intended to provide more room for client, nutrition and volunteer services, along with a demonstration kitchen for nutrition education and space for research.
Barenaked Ladies Performed the “Big Bang Theory” Theme
Barenaked Ladies performed “One Week,” “Pinch Me” and “The History of Everything,” the theme they recorded for Lorre’s sitcom. Loni Love hosted the evening, and Caroline Rhea led a live auction whose offerings included a Dodgers game-day package and an African safari. Project Angel Food said the benefit raised more than $1 million for its operating costs.
Guests also received advance copies of Lorre’s Sitcom: A Memoir. The book is scheduled for publication on Oct. 13 through Dey Street Books, a HarperCollins imprint.