

Ironically, Jones later changed his stance on freedom fries because he regretted his support for the Iraq war, eventually becoming one of its loudest critics. According to the Pew Research Center, around 60% of Americans held an unfavorable opinion of France in 2003, but a Gallup poll in the same year also found that majority of Americans thought replacing the adjective "french" with "freedom" was a "silly idea." In 2006, Congress quietly changed the name of the food product back to french fries, but anti-French sentiment had grown in the U.S. The remaining cookies are third party cookies you may exercise your preferences in relation to each purpose by toggling the relevant switch below or by. "That's completely ludicrous to me," he said. The name change was criticized by one young man in a House cafeteria. Watching France's self-serving politics of passive aggression in this effort has discouraged me more than I can say." "As I've watched these men and women wave good-bye to their loved ones, I am reminded of the deep love they have for the freedom of this nation and their desire to fight for the freedom of those who are oppressed overseas. "I represent a district with multiple military bases that have deployed thousands of troops," Jones said in a statement. Jones said he was following the example of a local restaurant owner in his North Carolina district.

followed suit.ĬNN reported the french fry story in 2003 and also pointed out that “french toast” would henceforth be known as “freedom toast”: At a Capitol Hill cafeteria, journalists watched as Ney and Jones, who did not eat fries himself, held up a plaque that read, “***Update*** Now Serving. What was envisioned as a “ lighthearted gesture” in a small ceremony by the representatives involved became a media sensation. Bob Ney, who was House Administration Committee chairman and thus in charge of congressional cafeterias, that french fries be renamed “freedom fries” in the U.S.

In 2003, when the United States was readying to go to war with Iraq - ostensibly vowing to destroy Iraqi weapons of mass destruction and end Saddam Hussein’s regime - France expressed its firm opposition to that action. An online version of the menu still shows “freedom fries” because he hasn’t updated it yet.What’s in a name? An international diplomatic scuffle, apparently. The House cafeteria quietly changed the name back to french fries in 2006, and other restaurants through the years have followed suit.įarrell Corcoran, the owner of Maggie May’s in Bayside, Queens, said they changed the name back to french fries about two years ago. In 2009, the country singer’s company announced it would serve up some of Keith’s favorite food, including pulled-pork sandwiches, meatloaf and, oh yes, “freedom fries.” Toby Keith’s I Love This Bar & Grill was one of the most recent restaurants to jump on the “freedom” bandwagon. “We are recognizing those who are prepared to fight for us today,” President Bryce King said in March 2003. The burger chain Fuddruckers, with more than 200 locations, was among the restaurants who vowed to nix “french fries” from menus. “I won’t even mention the other name,” Palm Beach County Commissioner Burt Aaronson said, referring to the word “French.”
