‘Treacherous, prevaricating, murderous scumbag’: Anthony Bourdain’s brutal take on Henry Kissinger’s bombing of Cambodia recirculates

A quote regarding Henry Kissinger from the late celebrity chef Anthony Bourdain is going viral on social media following the notorious diplomat’s passing on Wednesday.

Kissinger, who died yesterday at the age of 100 at his home in Connecticut, was best known for advising numerous presidents and his aggressive foreign policy stances throughout the Cold War.

Referred to by many as a war criminal, Kissinger oversaw the clandestine carpet-bombing of Cambodia that began in 1969, resulting in as many as a half-million deaths.

Bourdain, who was well known for his travels as a chef, made special mention of Kissinger in his book, “A Cook’s Tour: In Search of the Perfect Meal.” Published in 2018 shortly after his suicide, Bourdain’s feelings toward Kissinger are once again going viral.

Specifically, Bourdain argued that once you’ve visited Cambodia, “you’ll never stop wanting to beat Henry Kissinger to death with your bare hands.”

Bourdain’s quote goes on to further characterize Kissinger as a “murderous scumbag” whose actions still reverberate negatively to this day.

“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,” the late chef wrote. “Witness what Henry did to 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.”

Some argued that the only sad aspect of Kissinger’s passing was the fact that Bourdain was not here to witness it.

“kissinger’s death is only sad because anthony bourdain wasn’t here to see it,” one user wrote.

But the quote wasn’t Bourdain’s only public remarks on Kissinger. In a 2017 interview with the New Yorker, the late chef cited Kissinger as the reason he would never attend a White House Correspondents’ dinner.

“I don’t need to be laughing it up with Henry Kissinger,” he said. “Any journalist who has ever been polite to Henry Kissinger, you know, fuck that person.”

A clip from his television show, Anthony Bourdain: Parts Unknown, in which he once again spoke about his dislike of Kissinger has also been making the rounds.

“I fucking hate him,” Bourdain says in the clip. “Because in my travels I stumble across his good works everywhere I go.”

Bourdain was even featured in numerous memes, including one based on the 2006 film 300. The chef can be seen avenging the people of Cambodia by kicking Kissinger into a pit.

“With great respect to the late great Anthony Bourdain. IT FINALLY HAPPENED THE EVIL IS DEFEATED,” one user added. “RIP BOZO HENRY KISSINGER BURN IN HELL.”

Kissinger’s death has led to a huge range of reactions online. Everything from memes to claims that Nicki Minaj assassinated the deceased politician dominated the internet.

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*First Published: Nov 30, 2023, 9:43 am CST

Mikael Thalen

Mikael Thalen is a tech and security reporter covering social media, data breaches, hackers, and more.