Trump brings McDonald's into the political spotlight during his campaign's closing days
The ex-president plans to drop by a McDonald's branch in Pennsylvania as part of his tour through the state on a Sunday. He intends to work as a fry cook there, as per reports by CNN last week.
Similar to Vice President Kamala Harris, who mentioned having worked at a McDonald's during her first presidential campaign, this role has become a significant part of Harris' working-class narrative. It's a tale she often shares with voters to emphasize her humble beginnings.
Trump, known for his love for McDonald's, has taken an interest in Harris' employment history here. He routinely accuses Harris, without any proof, of fabricating this detail during speeches and interviews. His visit to the restaurant is his latest attempt to challenge Harris' work history.
Harris has chosen to not engage with Trump's accusations and requests for evidence from news outlets or supporters. Her campaign remained silent in response to CNN's request for comment regarding Trump's claims and his planned visit to McDonald's.
A campaign representative revealed that Harris worked at a McDonald's in California during the summer of 1983. She would operate the registers and manage the fry and ice cream machines, according to this source.
Harris herself brought up this experience during an episode of Drew Barrymore's talk show and a 2019 campaign rally, where she joined striking McDonald's workers on the picket line.
Her time at this fast-food chain was highlighted during the Democratic National Convention this summer, with her allies contrasting her background with Trump's wealthy upbringing. Former President Bill Clinton joked about Harris surpassing his time at McDonald's, while Texas Rep. Jasmine Crockett noted that "one candidate worked at McDonald's," while "the other was born with a silver spoon in his mouth."
Harris' running mate, Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz, took aim at Trump, stating, "Can you simply imagine Donald Trump working at a McDonald's? He couldn’t run that damn McFlurry machine if it cost him anything."
Throughout his career, Trump has frequently questioned his rivals' biographies, often without substantial evidence. He was among the loudest voices promoting the "birther" movement, which falsely accused Barack Obama of not being a U.S. citizen, eventually leading to the release of Obama's birth certificate. During the 2016 Republican primary, Trump championed an unfounded theory suggesting that Sen. Ted Cruz's father had a role in JFK's assassination. This election cycle, he incorrectly claimed that Harris had only recently acknowledged her Black heritage and falsely suggested that Harris is not a natural-born U.S. citizen.
Despite these allegations, Trump has his share of embellishments and fabrications in his own life story. In his best-selling autobiography, Trump coined the term "truthful hyperbole," which he described as an effective self-promotion technique despite its contradictory nature.
Trump was found to have lied at least 30 times during a 2007 deposition, mostly regarding mundane facts about his businesses. He once claimed to have stood on the rubble at Ground Zero after the 9/11 attacks and to have paid his workers to clean up the mess, neither of which is supported by public records.
In addition, Trump was known to call reporters under the alias "John Barron" and even duped a Forbes reporter into exaggerating his fortune on their wealthiest people list.
It remains unclear why Trump focuses on Harris' McDonald's employment or why he chose to visit a McDonald's during his campaign. In interviews, he suggested that a small detail related to his rival's past should not be dismissed.
“We would say, well, that’s not a big lie. It’s a huge lie,” Trump stated, “because McDonald’s was part of her whole thing.”
Trump also visited a McDonald's early in his presidential campaign, this time in Ohio, after a train carrying hazardous materials derailed, causing an environmental crisis. At the time, he joked with an employee behind the register, saying, "I know this menu better than you do. I probably know it better than anybody in here."
The former president has consistently expressed his fondness for fast food. At a 2016 CNN town hall, Trump described himself as a "very clean person" who prefers fast food due to its quality control, stating, "You’re better off going there than someplace you have no idea where the food is coming from."
"I think the food is good. I think all of those places, Burger King, McDonald’s, I can live with it," he added. "The other night I had Kentucky Fried Chicken. Not the worst thing in the world."
Trump introduced that affection into the White House, where he previously treated Clemson's national championship football team to a diverse spread of burgers and pizzas. According to Jared Kushner in his autobiography, he recognized Trump's victory over the coronavirus when he requested his favorite McDonald's order.
"McDonald's Big Mac, Filet-O-Fish, fries, and a vanilla shake," Kushner recalled.
Recently, on Fox News, Donald Trump Jr. expressed his disappointment that during the network's interview with Harris, they didn't inquire about her former role at McDonald's. He also claimed that his father's extensive knowledge of McDonald's options surpassed that of the Democratic nominee.
"I believe my father is more familiar with McDonald's menu than Kamala Harris ever was," Trump Jr. stated.
CNN's Kristen Holmes, Kate Sullivan, and Ebony Davis contributed to this report.
In the context of Trump's interest in Harris' employment history and his visit to a McDonald's, the ex-president often brings up Harris' time at a McDonald's as a significant part of her narrative, aiming to challenge her work history.
Politics have played a role in Trump's focus on Harris' employment, with him accusingly claiming without proof that she fabricated this detail during speeches and interviews.
