Donald Trump’s latest stunt has him heading to McDonald’s to take a shift behind the fryer, and it’s not just for the photo op. The former president, always one to capitalize on a political jab, is using this weekend’s event as a not-so-subtle dig at his opponent, Kamala Harris. While visiting Pennsylvania, a key battleground state, Trump plans to add the Golden Arches to his resume by “working the fry cooker.” And of course, in true Trump fashion, he didn’t miss the chance to point out that even a brief half-hour at McDonald’s would mean he’s put in more time there than Harris supposedly did.
Trump has been throwing shade at Harris for weeks, questioning her claims that she worked at McDonald’s during her college days. The Trump campaign hasn’t revealed the exact Philly location where Trump will flex his fast-food skills, but it’s clear the move is aimed directly at his opponent. Last month, Trump teased this McDonald’s gig at a rally, dismissing Harris’s claims of long, hard hours behind the counter as nothing more than a “fake story.” He seemed all too eager to remind his audience that Harris, in his view, has been spinning tales about her past, including her supposed time working at the iconic fast-food chain.
It all began when Harris’s campaign put out an ad in August, claiming she worked at McDonald’s while earning her degree at Howard University. She doubled down on this story during an MSNBC interview, repeating the claim that she had been a McDonald’s employee in her student days. Naturally, the media gave her a free pass on this narrative, regurgitating the claim without bothering to dig any deeper. But, as it turns out, there’s one tiny problem: there’s no actual proof to back up her story.
Enter the fact-checkers. Even Snopes, which leans left, couldn’t find a shred of evidence to confirm Harris’s McDonald’s work history. They reported that neither Harris’s campaign nor McDonald’s could provide tax records, employment documents, or even something as simple as a photo of her in a McDonald’s uniform. They even reached out to Harris’s sister and a close friend from her Howard days, but came up empty. The silence from McDonald’s on this matter is particularly telling. If Harris had truly flipped burgers or worked the fryer, it would be easy for the fast-food giant to verify. The fact that they haven’t? Well, it speaks volumes.
In typical Trump fashion, this McDonald’s appearance is both a clever campaign move and a tongue-in-cheek swipe at Harris’s credibility. While Harris may have been hoping her McDonald’s story would bolster her “regular person” appeal, Trump has turned it into yet another example of what he claims is her dishonesty. Whether or not this stunt will swing any voters remains to be seen, but one thing is certain: Trump is having a lot more fun with the fryer than Harris probably ever did.
