Ana Navarro, 48, didn’t hesitate to clap back at Ann Coulter, 59, with an informative tweet on Dec. 16 after the right-wing pundit took to Twitter to call out a “nut foreigner” who happened to be 51-year-old Chef Jose Andres. Although the conservative author didn’t name Jose, she was seemingly referencing his Dec 15th appearance on MSNBC, in which he discussed solutions to combat food insecurity with Andrea Mitchell. “Some nut foreigner was just on MSNBC demanding that [Joe] Biden appoint a ‘Food Czar’ to solve the ‘national hunger crisis.’ A dozen federal food programs is not enough!” Ann’s tweet read.
His name is @chefjoseandres. He’s helped feed millions of Americans & people across the world in times of need, after disasters. He’s a small-business owner/entrepreneur who employs thousands through his restaurants. Oh, and he’s an American citizen, who makes our country great. https://t.co/BvAq1KfAi2
— Ana Navarro-Cárdenas (@ananavarro) December 16, 2020
When Ana quickly responded, she made sure to not only identify Jose, but to also praise him for the many people he’s helped over the years. “His name is @chefjoseandres. He’s helped feed millions of Americans & people across the world in times of need, after disasters,” her response read. “He’s a small-business owner/entrepreneur who employs thousands through his restaurants. Oh, and he’s an American citizen, who makes our country great.”
On the same day Ana clapped back at Ann, Jose himself replied with his own tweets and one of them made light of a heavy situation by joking about what she called him. “I’m so proud you called me a Nut. Nuts are fruits where the ovary walls become hard so I can be Protector of my people and everyone else,” his first tweet read. “Nuts like me? energy-dense,nutrient-rich, what we need to feed USA. Nuts?You right girl, ‘foreigners’ like almonds+pistachios!Happy holidays!”
I’m so proud you called me a Nut. Nuts are fruits where the ovary walls become hard so I can be Protector of my people and everyone else. Nuts like me? energy-dense,nutrient-rich, what we need to feed USA. Nuts?You right girl, “foreigners” like almonds+pistachios!Happy holidays! https://t.co/W1rLCdeLIe
— Chef José Andrés 🕊️🥘🍳 (@chefjoseandres) December 16, 2020
He followed the response up with another more serious tweet a few hours later. “And @AnnCoulter last thing. I agree with you we need to make sure we get to make those programs more effective,” he wrote. “Using Federal money smartly. Building longer tables. Making sure every American falling behind is able to put food on the table. Creating jobs and moving the economy up!”
Jose, who was born in Mieres, Spain, talked about the urgency of keeping America fed in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic, during his MSNBC interview, and revealed he didn’t think the Senate was using the resources of the federal government to try and help those in need.
And @AnnCoulter last thing. I agree with you we need to make sure we get to make those programs more effective.Using Federal money smartly.Building longer tables. Making sure every American falling behind is able to put food on the table.Creating jobs and moving the economy up! https://t.co/W1rLCdeLIe
— Chef José Andrés 🕊️🥘🍳 (@chefjoseandres) December 16, 2020
“A plate of food gives dignity to Americans falling behind,” he said. “For some reason, the White House and in this case the Senate are not putting all the resources of the federal government to make sure that every American, Republicans and Democrats that are suffering right now, will be fed, especially going through this holiday season and beyond.”
Jose, who was awarded the National Humanities Medal during the Obama administration for his humanitarian work, also talked about the food crisis during a similar interview with Yahoo! News. He pointed out how he’s calling for President-elect Biden, who will take office next month, and his administration to create a new cabinet position to address the growing food and hunger needs in the country and suggested a “secretary of food” that is outside the Department of Agriculture. He believes if the secretary oversees the communications and brings practical and political insight into food and hunger to the White House and policy makers, it will make a true impact to those in need.
“We need to understand one thing: that food is more than the USDA. Food is more than just all of the mechanics of a smart agricultural system,” Jose explained. “Food is immigration. Food is health. Food is national security. Food is job creation. Food is economic growth.”
A Northwestern University study held in June revealed that food insecurity has doubled nationally and even tripled in households with children since the pandemic started, Yahoo! News reported.
Jose founded World Central Kitchen, a non-profit organization devoted to providing meals in the wake of natural disasters, in 2010. Since its inception, the organization has helped give food to those affected by numerous intense disasters, including the devastating earthquake in Haiti in 2010, Hurricane Harvey in Texas and surrounding areas in 2017, and Hurricane Dorian in The Bahamas in 2019.