Skip to content
Search AI Powered

Latest Stories

Resurfaced Anthony Bourdain Quote Slamming Henry Kissinger Resurfaces After Kissinger's Death

Anthony Bourdain; Henry Kissinger
Taylor Hill/FilmMagic, Chad Buchanan/Getty Images

An excerpt from one of the late chef's books shows just how much he despised Kissinger, who died at age 100 on Wednesday.

A passage from a book written by late celebrity restaurateur and chef Anthony Bourdain resurfaced online in which he slammed former U.S. Secretary of State Henry Kissinger.

Kissinger—who served under the administrations of Richard Nixon and Gerald Ford and played a key role in U.S. foreign policy between 1969 and 1977—died at his home in Kent, Connecticut, on Wednesday at the age of 100.


One of Kissinger's long list of controversies as a war criminal was his association with the U.S. bombing of Cambodia conducted under Operation Menu during the Vietnam War.

The late geopolitical consultant and diplomat was responsible for the deaths of tens of thousands of Cambodian civilians, which Bourdain noted in his 2001 book, A Cook’s Tour: In Search of the Perfect Meal.

Reflecting on a past visit to Cambodia in the book, Bourdain—who died in 2018—wrote:

"Once you've been to Cambodia, you’ll never stop wanting to beat Henry Kissinger to death with your bare hands."
"You will never again be able to open a newspaper and read about that treacherous, prevaricating, murderous scumbag sitting down for a nice chat with Charlie Rose or attending some black-tie affair for a new glossy magazine without choking."
"Witness what Henry did in Cambodia—the fruits of his genius for statesmanship—and you will never understand why he's not sitting in the dock at the Hague next to Milošević."
"While Henry continues to nibble nori rolls and remaki at A-list parties, Cambodia, the neutral nation he secretly and illegally bombed, invaded, undermined, and then threw to the dogs, is still trying to raise itself up on its one remaining leg."

The passage has been making the rounds online after news of Kissinger's death.

Bourdain also verbally expressed his disdain for Kissinger on camera, seen in the Indonesian episode of his food and travel show, Parts Unknown, which you can see here.

Social media users shared their thoughts.





This wasn't the first time Bourdain expressed animosity for Kissinger.

In a 2017 New Yorker profile on Bourdain, his publisher, Dan Halpern, praised Bourdain as as a "statesman" after Parts Unknown raised awareness about political conflicts in other countries.

In response, Bourdain asserted:

“I’m not going to the White House Correspondents’ dinner. I don’t need to be laughing it up with Henry Kissinger.”

Bourdain criticized journalists and other high-profile personalities rubbing elbows with Kissinger despite him having blood on his hands:

“Any journalist who has ever been polite to Henry Kissinger, you know, f**k that person."
“I’m a big believer in moral gray areas, but, when it comes to that guy, in my view he should not be able to eat at a restaurant in New York.”

Powerful words.

More from Trending

Kid Rock
Todd Kirkland/Getty Images

Kid Rock Dragged After Donning A Truly Over-The-Top Outfit For His White House Visit

Singer Kid Rock was slammed for wearing a loud patriotic costume inside the Oval Office as Republican President Donald Trump signed an executive order on Monday against ticket scalping.

The rocker's outfit consisted of a red, white, and blue jacket emblazoned with two eagles facing each other above the American flag with the number 250, a nod to America's upcoming 250th anniversary, and white stars on his sleeves.

Keep ReadingShow less
Screenshot of Bill Cassidy
CNBC

MAGA Senator Just Said The Quiet Part Out Loud With Epic Freudian Slip About Medicare

Louisiana Republican Senator Bill Cassidy was widely mocked following his inconvenient slip of the tongue during a CNBC interview as he mused about finding ways to "cut" Medicare before quickly correcting himself.

The exchange occurred after host Rebecca Quick pressed Louisiana Republican and former physician Bill Cassidy on how his party intended to fund the “trillion-dollar tax cuts” sought by President Donald Trump.

Keep ReadingShow less
Screenshot of Tim Sheehy
CNN

GOP Senator Gets Blunt Reality Check After Comparing Trump Tariff 'Pain' To Home Renovation

Montana Republican Senator Tim Sheehy was criticized after he tried to compare the "short-term pain" of President Donald Trump's tariffs to home renovation, a claim so ridiculous that CNN's Kaitlan Collins quickly pushed back on the analogy.

Trump has repeatedly referred to April 2 as “Liberation Day,” pledging to impose tariffs—taxes on imports—to reduce U.S. reliance on foreign goods. He has framed these tariffs as “reciprocal,” aiming to match the duties other nations place on American exports.

Keep ReadingShow less
Susan Crawford; Elon Musk
Scott Olson/Getty Images (left and right)

Liberal Wisconsin Judge Calls Out Elon Musk In Victory Speech—And It's Everything

Liberal judge Susan Crawford called out billionaire Elon Musk in her victory speech after winning a seat on the Wisconsin Supreme Court, basking in successfully beating her Republican opponent Brad Schimel and ensuring that the nonpartisan court’s narrow 4-3 liberal majority remains intact despite Musk's efforts to sway the race.

Musk fueled the high-stakes race, having poured more than $20 million into supporting Schimel, according to state campaign records. That includes $3 million to the state Republican Party—$2 million of which was donated just last week. Due to state election laws, large contributions must be funneled through political parties before reaching candidates.

Keep ReadingShow less

People Describe The Worst 'Bonus' They've Ever Gotten At Work

Most of us have worked at one problematic workplace, with reasons ranging from toxic coworkers to terrible bosses to unlivable pay. Sometimes, it feels like a joke that the employees are even being paid at all!

But the biggest joke of all might be the end-of-year bonus, or lack thereof. They're at times so laughable, they take the cake for horrible work conditions, or are quite literally, a slice of cake.

Keep ReadingShow less