The establishment media freaked out over former President Donald Trump working at a Philadelphia McDonald’s, accusing him of smearing and trolling Vice President Kamala Harris.
In response to Trump visiting a McDonald’s where he learned how to properly cook french fries, spoke with customers in the drive-through, and handed out orders, Business Insider, the Washington Post, the New York Times, Forbes, and Rolling Stone magazine, among others, criticized him with headlines accusing him of mocking Harris’s work history.
The New York Times released a story titled, “Trump Slings McDonald’s Fries as He Smears Harris in Pennsylvania.”
Business Insider’s story was titled, “Trump cooks fries at McDonald’s as he attempts to cast doubt on Harris’ earlier employment at the chain.”
The Washington Post released a story titled, “Trump serves McDonald’s fries to supporters in stage-managed campaign stop.”
NBC News released a story titled, “Trump tries to troll Harris by serving french fries at McDonald’s.”
Rolling Stone released a story titled, “Trump Makes Fries at McDonald’s in Bizarre Attempt to Troll Harris.”
Forbes released a story titled, “Trump Works Fryer At McDonald’s-And Accuses Harris Without Evidence Of Lying About Summer Job.”
As Breitbart News previously reported, MSNBC host Alex Will and Rep. Barbara Lee (D-CA) also criticized Trump for his visit to McDonald’s, stating that there was “no logic” to Trump’s visit.
Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz (D), the vice presidential running mate of Harris, also issued a response to Trump working at McDonald’s, accusing him of having “spent decades stiffing workers pay” and cutting “overtime benefits,” while adding that Harris had “actually worked at McDonald’s.”
Harris has previously alleged on several occasions that she used to work at McDonald’s. In 2019, while running as a Democratic candidate in the 2020 presidential election, Harris claimed during a labor rally in Las Vegas, Nevada, that she used to work at McDonald’s.
“I worked in McDonald’s,” Harris said in 2019. “I was a student when I was working in McDonald’s.”
In April, during an interview with Drew Barrymore, Harris was asked about the “rumors” that she had worked at McDonald’s, answering that she “did work at McDonald’s” and used to make fries, before getting moved to cashier.
“I did,” Harris answered. “Yes, I did work at McDonald’s. When I was at school … I did fries. I did fries. I did fries, and then I did the cashier.”
While Harris claims she used to work at McDonald’s, she previously “never mentioned it” as she was campaigning, and it has also been left off of a previous job application and resume that she “submitted a year after” graduating from college, the Washington Free Beacon reported in August:
Harris’s work at McDonald’s, which allegedly took place at a franchise in the California Bay Area the summer after her freshman year in college, is a recent addition to her carefully curated life story. For decades, Harris never mentioned it, not on the campaign trail nor in two books. It’s absent from a job application and resume she submitted a year after she graduated from college. Third-party biographers did not write about. Not until Harris ran for president in 2019 and spoke to a labor rally in Las Vegas did she mention the job, telling the crowd that she “was a student when I was working in a McDonald’s.”
Harris’s claim of working at a McDonald’s is also referenced in a campaign advertisement from August: “She grew up in a middle-class home. She was the daughter of a working mom, and she worked at McDonald’s while she got her degree. Kamala Harris knows what it’s like to be middle-class.”
A fact check from Snopes regarding Harris’s claim about having worked at McDonald’s is listed as “unproven.” Snopes explains that while Harris “has made this claim repeatedly over the years,” there is “no evidence” to support her claims:
Harris has made this claim repeatedly over the years, and multiple reputable news outlets have reported on the story. But, aside from Harris’ testimony itselff, there is no evidence (such as a photo, employment record or confirmation from a friend or family member) to independently verify the claim. We’ve reached out to Harris’ campaign and McDonald’s and we’ll update this report when, or if, we learn more.