Ah, Donald Trump working the fry station at McDonald’s—can you think of a more symbolic moment? The former president, a man known for running billion-dollar enterprises and sitting atop gold-plated everything, flips some fries and serves up burgers in Pennsylvania, all while taking a swipe at Vice President Kamala Harris. It’s vintage Trump, the businessman-turned-politician who has a knack for blending populism with a bit of showmanship. And of course, he couldn’t resist calling out Harris for what he suggests is just another of her long list of “fake” credentials.
Let’s back up for a second. Trump has long prided himself on connecting with the average American, and nothing says “everyman” quite like working the fryer at McDonald’s. Now, when he originally promised to do this at a rally, plenty of folks probably thought he was joking or engaging in some light trolling. But no, this is Trump—he follows through on his stunts, and there he was in Bucks County, PA, tossing out fries to adoring crowds and giving reporters a sound bite in the drive-thru.
And here’s the kicker: he’s doing it to make a point about Kamala Harris. Apparently, during her rise to the vice presidency, Harris made a claim that she worked at McDonald’s during her college years. Trump has been all over that, saying it never happened. Whether or not she did is almost beside the point at this stage. Trump’s tactic here is clear—he’s poking at Harris, framing her as just another politician willing to say whatever it takes to gain sympathy points from voters. “Lyin’ Kamala,” as he dubbed her, doesn’t quite have the same zing as “Crooked Hillary,” but hey, it’s a start.
What really drives home Trump’s message here is the contrast. While Kamala talks about a possibly embellished tale of frying burgers in her youth, Trump is out there, in 2024, actually doing it, if only for 15 minutes. He’s saying, “Look, I said I’d work the fry cooker, and I did. Meanwhile, Kamala is spinning fairy tales.” Whether or not the story holds up, the optics are what matter here. And for the crowd that showed up in droves to watch Trump sling Big Macs, it was probably more about the spectacle than the substance anyway.
What’s particularly noteworthy is the setting: Bucks County, Pennsylvania. For those unfamiliar, this is a key swing county in one of the biggest battleground states in the nation. In 2020, Pennsylvania was one of the states that delivered the presidency to Joe Biden, and Trump’s not-so-subtle message was aimed right at those voters. He’s reminding them that he’s the candidate who understands the working class, even if his usual residence is a gold-plated tower in Manhattan.
Now, was this just a PR stunt? Of course, it was. But that’s part of Trump’s appeal. He doesn’t pretend to be anything other than what he is—a showman with a populist streak. And his supporters love him for it. Meanwhile, Harris gets framed as yet another politician who can’t help but exaggerate her life story to seem more relatable. Trump didn’t just serve fries that day; he served up a political statement, complete with ketchup on the side.
“I’ll tell you what, it’s a great franchise, it’s a great company, and they’ve been very, very nice,” he said. “And, uh, and come on, you know, if you look at really what’s happening, look at the crowd over there, look how happy everybody is. They’re happy because they want hope. They need hope. And that’s what we’re doing, that’s what we’re gonna give, make sure there’s hope.”
He went on to say, “Now I have worked at McDonald’s. I’ve now worked for 15 minutes more than Kamala. She never worked here. I’ve worked at McDonald’s.”
“Why would she lie about that?” a reporter asked, to which Trump replied, “Because she’s lyin’ Kamala, that’s why.”
im crying Donald Trump is so unserious, someone recorded him working at McDonalds and he said “I’ve now worked 15 more minutes than Kamala” 😭 pic.twitter.com/3JzGNSQp04
— ryan 🤿 (@scubaryan_) October 20, 2024
So, whether you’re grabbing a quarter pounder with cheese or just watching the political theater unfold, one thing is clear: Trump knows how to make a point, and he does it with a flair for the dramatic. And Kamala? Well, she’s still got a little extra grease on her resume—or at least, that’s what Trump would have you believe.
