Former President Donald Trump and Vice President Kamala Harris have become embroiled in an unusual political dispute centered around McDonald’s. The controversy stems from Harris’s long-standing claim that she worked at McDonald’s as a college student in the early 1980s. Mr. Trump has challenged this claim, culminating in a campaign stunt where he worked a brief shift at a Pennsylvania McDonald’s location.
Key points about Harris’ McDonald’s claim
• Ms. Harris has maintained that she worked at a McDonald’s in Alameda, California during her college years.
• One family friend, Wanda Kagan, spoke to The New York Times and confirmed that she remembers Ms. Harris working at McDonald’s.
• McDonald’s has stated they do not have employment records dating back to that era of the early 1980s.
• No former co-workers have publicly come forward to confirm working with Ms. Harris at the restaurant.
• The company has acknowledged Ms. Harris’ “fond memories working under the Arches” but has been unable to verify her employment.
Trump’s response and campaign strategy
• Mr. Trump made a campaign appearance at a Pennsylvania McDonald’s where he worked the drive-thru window and made french fries while wearing a McDonald’s apron.
• During the event, he declared that he had now worked “15 minutes more than Kamala at McDonald’s.”
• The Trump campaign released special merchandise featuring him at McDonald’s.
• His team created a “MAGADonald’s” themed t-shirt that is being used for fundraising purposes.
• Trump specifically told reporters he was taking the job at McDonald’s “because she didn’t do it.”
McDonald’s corporate response
• The company released an internal memo to franchisees addressing the situation and the unexpected political attention.
• McDonald’s explicitly stated in their communication that they are “not a political brand.”
• The corporation emphasized that they do not endorse any candidates for elected office.
• They referenced their “1 in 8” campaign, noting that approximately one in eight Americans have worked at McDonald’s.
• The company concluded their position with the statement: “We are not red or blue — we are golden.”
Campaign team responses
• Harris campaign spokesman Ian Sams has forcefully rejected Mr. Trump’s claims as lies.
• Mr. Sams stated that Mr. Trump cannot understand what it’s like to have a summer job because he was “handed millions on a silver platter.”
• The Harris campaign has consistently maintained that her account of working at McDonald’s is truthful.
• The Trump campaign has used the controversy to question Ms. Harris’ overall credibility.
• Mr. Trump’s team has actively leveraged the situation for both fundraising and merchandise sales.
This controversy has evolved into a larger narrative about working-class credentials, campaign authenticity, and political messaging to blue-collar voters. The dispute comes amid reports of Trump gaining support among traditional Democratic voting blocs. The McDonald’s incident occurred while both campaigns were engaging in other significant activities, including Ms. Harris’ “Souls to the Polls” events in Georgia, highlighting how even seemingly minor controversies can become part of the larger campaign narrative.
Read more:
Trump serves up fries at Pennsylvania McDonald’s
McDonald’s does not have a record of Kamala Harris’ employment at the fast-food chain
Too old? Trump contrasts his busy schedule against ‘lazy’ Kamala Harris
Trump offers up McDonald’s photo on shirt: ‘McGift’
McDonald’s insists it isn’t endorsing a presidential candidate after Trump event
Lovin’ it: Trump trolls Harris with cameo as McDonald’s worker
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