White House Apparently Duped by Joke Post About In-N-Out Burger

What happened: The White House apparently fell for an April Fools’ prank by an In-N-Out Burger fan account, falsely claiming in a July 14 memo that the California-based burger chain switched to beef tallow — a supposed health upgrade — as proof that the Trump administration is delivering on its “Make America Healthy Again” pledge.
Context: Beef tallow, a rich, savory fat rendered from beef, has been praised by Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., who says that when used for frying, it is a natural, healthier alternative to seed oil, which requires chemicals to be extracted. Many health experts have said Kennedy’s claim is baseless.
A closer look: A July 14 memo posted to the official White House site titled “President Trump Delivers on MAHA Push” stated that “a growing group of leading companies have taken steps to improve the food supply.” Among the actions that were singled out: “In-N-Out announced it … transitioned to 100% beef tallow.”
The memo linked to an X post from account @innoutburger_ that stated: “It’s official. In-N-Out will be transitioning to 100% pure beef tallow. The change is set to become effective on 05/01/2025 at all In-N-Out locations.”
Actually: The beef tallow announcement was posted by a self-described “fan account” of the fast-food chain as an April Fools’ joke.
The fan account posted the statement on April 1, 2025, at 11 a.m. Thirty-eight minutes later, the account replied to that post with a graphic stating “April Fools,” adding, “Before this gets out of hand.”
In fact, In-N-Out Burger uses sunflower oil to cook its fries, Denny Warnick, the chain’s chief operating officer, told the San Francisco Chronicle (Trust Score: 100/100). “Information was recently published in error stating that In-N-Out Burger has transitioned to beef tallow for cooking French fries,” he stated. “We continue to work on an upgrade to our current sunflower oil, however we have not yet made a change.”
By July 15, the White House memo had been updated and no longer included the claim about In-N-Out Burger switching to beef tallow. However, the White House did not include any note indicating that the original release contained a false claim.
NewsGuard emailed the White House press office asking about the White House’s promotion of the false claim and why there was no disclosure when it was removed. In an emailed response, White House spokesman Kush Desai stated: “The media’s obsession with covering anything but the facts, like how the Trump administration is working with companies, including In-N-Out, to remove artificial ingredients from our food supply, is exactly why public trust in the press has plummeted to record lows.”
Tricks of our trade: Want to make sure you are ready for the next April Fools’ Day? Consider the following:
The @innoutburger_ X account has a blue check mark, suggesting that it is verified. However, since November 2022, any X account with a verified phone number and a subscription to X Premium can receive a blue check, regardless of its authenticity. Also, the underscore in the account name is a red flag — official brand accounts typically use a handle that matches the company name, without alterations.
The bio for @innoutburger_ states: “Not affiliated with In-N-Out. This is a fan account posting accurate up to date information.”
The post was uploaded on April 1 — a date best known for trickery — and the top reply to the post was from the same account, indicating it was a joke.
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