The former president Donald Trump McDonalds turn, as he worked himself at the fry station during a planned visit to one of its franchises. However, when asked about raising the minimum wage, he avoided answering.
Donald Trump McDonalds Fries Handing Out at Campaign Event
Wearing an apron, the Republican presidential nominee pulled fries from the hot oil, shook them, added salt, and packed them into containers. This sparked up a news headline about Donald Trump McDonalds fries serving.
He complimented the staff and praised the company. Then, he leaned out the drive-through window and waved to a crowd gathered across the street.
As cars lined up, he handed out paper bags of food. One driver shouted, “Trump 2024!” before driving off. The restaurant had been closed to the public due to President Trump McDonald visit. The drivers he served were pre-screened by the Secret Service and placed in line before they arrived. No one ordered food; instead, Trump at McDonalds gave out meals to everyone.
Trump at McDonalds Skirts Election and Wage Questions
Trump spent about five minutes at the fry station and around 15 minutes at the drive-through window, where he answered questions from reporters. While waving to the crowd of supporters outside, he said, “This isn’t a normal situation, is it?”
When asked if he would accept the results of the 2024 election, Trump at McDonalds didn’t give a direct answer. “Sure, if it’s a fair election,” he said, repeating a stance he’s expressed before. He also avoided answering a question about whether he supports raising the minimum wage. They work hard indicated Trump. “They’re great. And I just saw something — a beautiful process.”
McDonald’s workers across the U.S. earn between $13 to $15 per hour, according to hiring sites like Indeed and ZipRecruiter. In Pennsylvania, where the minimum wage is still $7.25 per hour, fast-food workers make an average of $13.20 per hour, based on 2023 data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics.
President Trump McDonald Visit Questions the Owners Work History
For years, McDonald’s workers and activists have pushed the company and other fast-food giants to raise wages and increase the federal minimum wage. They’ve done this through groups like Fight for $15.
In 2019 and 2020, activists urged Derek Giacomantonio, a franchise owner who hosted Trump on Sunday, to raise pay at one of his Philadelphia locations.
The owner of eight McDonald’s restaurants in the region, Giacomantonio, also opposed a state proposal to increase overtime compensation for additional employees.
President Trump McDonald visit wasn’t about supporting the push for higher wages. Instead, he focused on promoting an unfounded claim that Vice President Kamala Harris didn’t work at McDonald’s during college.
Harris has mentioned working at McDonald’s in her campaign events and ads to emphasize her middle-class upbringing. In one ad, the narrator says: “She grew up in a middle-class home. She was the employed mother’s daughter. And she worked at McDonald’s while earning her degree.”
Debate Over Kamala Harris’ 1983 McDonald’s Job
In the summer of 1983, Vice President Kamala Harris worked at McDonald’s on Central Avenue in Alameda, California, according to her campaign.
She was a Howard University student at that point. Her duties included running the cash register and operating the fry and ice cream machines.
Harris shared her experience working at McDonald’s during an interview on “The Drew Barrymore Show” earlier this year. She also mentioned it in 2019 when she stood with McDonald’s workers in Las Vegas who were protesting for higher wages.
“When Trump feels desperate, he resorts to lying. He can’t understand what it’s like to have a summer job because he was handed millions and squandered it,” said Ian Sams, a spokesperson for Harris’s campaign.
Though neither Harris nor McDonald’s has shown proof of her summer job, it’s unlikely that records from four decades ago would still exist. However, pro-Trump media have used the lack of documentation to claim Harris was lying about the job.
Trump’s Fast-Food Jabs, McDonald’s Love & Political Attacks
Trump hasn’t let evidence hold him back from attacking his political opponents. He first gained attention in Republican politics by pushing a false conspiracy theory that questioned President Barack Obama’s citizenship.
“I’ve now worked 15 minutes more than Kamala,” Trump said, finishing his time at the fryer. When asked why he thought Kamala Harris would lie about working at McDonald’s, he replied, “Because she’s Lyin’ Kamala.”
Trump has always been a big fan of McDonald’s, even filming a commercial for the chain. During a 2016 CNN town hall, he told Anderson Cooper that his go-to meal at McDonald’s was the “fish delight,” though he also praised the Big Macs and Quarter Pounders with cheese. As president, in January 2019, Trump ordered fast food from McDonald’s, Burger King, Wendy’s, and Domino’s to serve at a White House event for the Clemson University football team.
Trump Working at McDonalds Promoted Community Spirit
While filling a box of fries, (Trump Working at McDonalds), often calling himself a germaphobe, remarked, “It never touches human hands, nice and full.” He repeated, “Never touched a human hand. Nice and clean.”
Before Trump’s visit on Sunday, Giacomantonio shared a letter saying, “We’re excited to welcome everyone. As a locally owned business, this visit gives us a chance to highlight the positive impact small businesses have here in Feasterville.”
Additionally, he said on X, “The general public is welcome at any time. This is Americana. I’d welcome either presidential candidate. Former President Clinton visited a @McDonalds last week, and I thought it was great (a bit of déjà vu). @KamalaHarris also loves the brand.”
Trump seemed to enjoy his time at the location, taking in the crowd and saying, “Look how happy everyone is. They need hope.”
Trump’s Tax Removal Idea
After the Donald Trump McDonalds fries were served, he hosted a town hall in Lancaster, Pa., where supporters asked him questions about his main campaign topics, such as immigration and his plan to exempt tips and Social Security income from taxes. Trump shared that the idea to remove taxes on tips came from a waitress at his Las Vegas property who had approached him with the suggestion.
Later on Sunday, Trump planned to attend a Pittsburgh Steelers football game.
This report includes contributions from Mariana Alfaro, Emily Heil, and Justine McDaniel.