Meet 'Tiny:' The Ex-Army White House Chef Who Can Bench-Press 700 lb
From a U.S. Army master sergeant to a chef for President Donald Trump, Andre Rush — also known as “Tiny” — can easily say he’s just about done it all.
Ever since a photo of the hulk-like man — with his bulging biceps on display as he prepared a meal for Trump and other officials — went viral last year, Americans have been clamoring to know more about this tank of a human being.
Chefs outside the West Wing prepping for tonight’s White House iftar. President Trump will host 30-40 guests to celebrate the Muslim holy month of Ramadan. pic.twitter.com/0uzr6A1uKw
— Vivian Salama (@vmsalama) June 6, 2018
In middle school and high school, Rush was known as “Horse” — and he could sure show off his horsepower on the football field, according to close friend and Mississippi state Rep. Kabir Karriem.
“Because of how hard he ran the football, and because of how strong he was,” Karriem told the Mississippi Clarion-Ledger in December of his time growing up with Rush in Columbus. “He was scrawny. But that boy was some kind of strong. Neckbone strong, I call it.”
When his team wasn’t on the field, they were pumping iron in the weight room.
Rush’s teammates would drop everything to watch him work out, because a 150-pound senior bench-pressing 315 pounds was nothing short of a sight to behold.
As time went on, Rush picked up the nickname “Tiny.”
But this guy is anything but tiny.
According to Food & Wine, Rush’s consistent workouts and mind-boggling eating routines have put the chef in a class of his own.
Standing at 5-foot-10 and weighing 268 pounds, Rush — and his 24-inch biceps — has been known to cause prolonged staring and excessive double-takes.
Oh, and he can bench-press up to 700 pounds.
Before becoming a viral sensation for his monstrous, sleeve-shredding guns, Rush proudly served his country for 23 years in the U.S. Army, where he was known as the “strongest chef in the military.”
He was wounded during a patrol in Iraq, but thankfully, his injuries weren’t life-threatening and he was able to continue mastering his favorite hobby — cooking.
“I loved the science, I loved the mathematical equations, I loved the simplicity and the difficulty,” Rush told Food & Wine. “In cooking, you can do something that’s going to be done in five minutes or you can do something that’s going to take you five days.”
Rush told the Clarion-Ledger he and his three brothers learned the art of cooking from their mother.
“My knowledge of cooking was homegrown,” Rush said. “When I got to the Army, a lot of guys had been to culinary school. They sort of looked down at me, wouldn’t share their secrets. That was fine. I just stayed true to myself, and it got me all the way to the White House.”
“I use that as a lesson when speaking to kids. Doesn’t matter where you come from, you can do anything if you’re willing to work for it,” Rush said.
Not only is this man a true American hero, he also believes in the value of the hard work it takes to make one’s dreams come true.
Rush doesn’t work full-time at the White House — he’s more of a freelancer who has served as executive chef at many different White House events.
In addition to cooking for Trump, he’s also whipped up plenty of tasty meals for former Presidents Barack Obama, George W. Bush, and Bill Clinton.
And he uses his platform as a celebrity chef to advocate for veterans like himself who are fighting post-traumatic stress disorder.
Rush is the epitome of an American patriot, and he should be an inspiration to every one of us — he’s proved that when you work hard and follow your passion, anything is possible.
Truth and Accuracy
We are committed to truth and accuracy in all of our journalism. Read our editorial standards.
Advertise with The Western Journal and reach millions of highly engaged readers, while supporting our work. Advertise Today.
