Yelp halts commenting capabilities for the specific McDonald's branch in Pennsylvania that Trump once served fries at.
Many recent reviews have been harsh. Some accused Trump of his criminal past.
"Convicted felon badmouthing customers, especially women, not using gloves while preparing fries, and only working for five minutes at a time before needing a break," one said.
Others used the occasion to take a different dig at the presidential candidate.
"The fries were too salty, as if someone who lost a significant election had been crying over them for an hour," one review stated.
Some users on Yelp blamed the McDonald's franchise for allowing Trump to hold a campaign event there.
"If you make such poor managerial decisions, I swear I'll never consume anything you produce," another review said.
However, some on Yelp dismissed the Trump campaign event.
"I've visited this McDonald's before Trump's visit and will continue to do so after," said a five-star review.
McDonald's found itself in the political limelight on Sunday after Trump served fries at a Feasterville-Trevose, Pennsylvania, location, despite the chain's attempts to distance itself from the event. Vice President Kamala Harris claims she worked at this very same McDonald's during the summer of 1983 while she was still a student at Howard University in Washington, a claim Trump denies without proof.
Yelp will flag and temporarily disable reviews on businesses that receive increased public attention. In 2023, there were 986 total alerts issued on business pages due to public attention, with over 49,000 reviews removed as a result.
"Even though we don't have a stance on this incident, we've temporarily disabled content posting on this page while we investigate whether the content is reflective of actual consumer experiences or the recent events," a notice on the page read on Tuesday.
Yelp confirmed that the disabled reviews are temporary and were disabled on Monday.
"When the activity decreases or stops, our moderators will clean up the page so reviews that solely reflect firsthand consumer experiences are displayed," Noorie Malik, Yelp's VP of User Operations, said in a statement on Tuesday.
Most McDonald's locations are independently owned and operated, meaning that while franchise owners must comply with certain guidelines, they have the freedom to invite whomever they wish to manage the drive-through.
On Sunday, McDonald's issued an internal memo to employees stating that they did not invite Trump.
"As we've seen, our brand has been a topic of conversation during this election cycle. Although we didn't seek this, it's a testament to McDonald's popularity with so many Americans," the company said in its memo. "McDonald's does not endorse candidates for elected office and that remains true in this race for the next President. We are not red or blue – we are gold."
The company clarified in its memo that the franchise's owner and operator, Derek Giacomantonio, was approached by local law enforcement about Trump's desire to visit and accepted the invitation.
"He was proud to showcase how he and his team serve their local community and create delicious food, such as our World-Famous French Fries," the company said. "Upon learning of the former President's request, we approached the situation through the lens of one of our core values: we welcome everyone into our doors."
CNN's Jordan Valinsky contributed to this report.
Despite the controversy, some business opportunities might still arise. For instance, a potential partner could propose a joint venture to capitalize on Trump's popularity and leverage the publicity generated by the McDonald's event.
Furthermore, the political backlash could potentially impact the franchise's reputation as a neutral business entity, emphasizing the importance of maintaining a balanced approach towards political affiliations to ensure longevity and growth in the business world.
