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Trump ‘fires’ World Central Kitchen founder from federal council

World Central Kitchen fired 10% of its workforce in December 2024 after Israel discovered they had links to terrorist organizations.

World Central Kitchen founder José Andrés gives a tour of the organization's Ukraine facility to Bridget Brink, U.S. ambassador to Ukraine, on June 2, 2022. Credit: U.S. Embassy Kyiv Ukraine via Wikimedia Commons.
World Central Kitchen founder José Andrés gives a tour of the organization's Ukraine facility to Bridget Brink, U.S. ambassador to Ukraine, on June 2, 2022. Credit: U.S. Embassy Kyiv Ukraine via Wikimedia Commons.

U.S. President Donald Trump posted an “Official Notice of Dismissal” on his Truth Social account on Monday, firing four individuals from the Biden administration Trump says “are not aligned with our vision to Make America Great Again.”

One of them was José Andrés, a professional chef and the founder of World Central Kitchen, which fired more than 10% of its workforce in December after Israel discovered they had links to terrorist groups. Biden had tapped Andrés to co-chair the President’s Council on Sports, Fitness and Nutrition in 2022.

Andrés, however, said that he had already resigned.

“I submitted my resignation last week. My two-year term was already up,” he wrote on X. “I was honored to serve as co-chair of the President’s Council on Sports, Fitness and Nutrition. My fellow council members–unpaid volunteers like me—were hardworking, talented people who inspired me every day. I’m proud of what we accomplished on behalf of the American people.”

Andrés added that he hopes Trump will help the council to “continue to advocate for fitness and good health for all Americans,” an issue he says is nonpartisan.

On April 1, 2024, seven aid workers were killed in an Israeli strike, an event the IDF immediately investigated. IDF Spokesman Rear Adm. Daniel Hagari spoke with Andrés after the incident and “expressed the IDF’s deepest condolences to the entire World Central Kitchen family.”

Andrés accused Israel of targeting the World Central Kitchen aid workers “systematically car by car,” claiming that its war against the Hamas terror group in Gaza was a “war against humanity itself.”

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