On Sunday, Donald Trump served up a special McDonald’s Value Meal, complete with an extra-large side of trolling and a free order of media outrage.
In true Trump fashion, he took a detour on the campaign trail to a McDonald’s in Feasterville, Pennsylvania, where he not only worked the fry station but also took drive-thru orders and held a mini press conference from the window. It was a masterclass in media manipulation, with a dash of humor aimed at Vice President Kamala Harris and her suspicious claim of once “working fries” at McDonald’s. Naturally, the media had a meltdown.
@realdonaldtrumpI’ve offically worked longer at McDonalds than Kamala!♬ original sound – President Donald J Trump
Trump’s appearance wasn’t just a random burger-flipping stunt—it was a deliberate poke at Harris, whose supposed McDonald’s job remains undocumented despite her recent claims. In a brilliant twist of political theater, Trump managed to troll Harris while showcasing his connection with everyday Americans. The media, of course, responded with predictable outrage, as if Trump showing up in an apron and serving fries was a crime against humanity. MSNBC even dragged out Rep. Barbara Lee (D-CA) to call the event “bizarre” and a sign of Trump’s “instability.” Sure, because nothing says “unstable,” like a former president working the drive-thru for 15 minutes.
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
And then, there was the big scoop from Newsweek: Trump’s visit to McDonald’s was—you guessed it—a staged event! Gasp! You’d think they uncovered Watergate 2.0 with their breathless reporting that the restaurant was closed and the “customers” were screened by Secret Service. Of course, they failed to mention this is standard practice for any political figure visiting a public place, especially one protected by the Secret Service. But hey, anything to make Trump’s fries look like a scandal, right?
Newsweek wasn’t done there. They went further, whining that Trump didn’t complete a “full shift,” pointing out that he only worked for a few minutes. Can you believe it? A presidential candidate didn’t spend eight hours flipping burgers and mopping floors? It’s almost like he has other things to do, like running a campaign. Meanwhile, outlets like The Washington Post echoed the outrage, acting like Trump’s fast-food stop was the most egregious act of political theater ever staged—never mind that Kamala Harris and Tim Walz did something equally staged at a Primanti Brothers restaurant, with bussed-in campaign workers posing as diners. But no media outrage there, of course.
The real kicker is how the media twisted themselves into knots defending Harris. Virtually every outlet—from CNN to The LA Times—complained that Trump had “no evidence” to disprove Harris’s McDonald’s claim, completely ignoring the fact that Kamala has provided no evidence that she actually worked there either. McDonald’s itself has no record of her employment. Funny how the burden of proof only works one way when Trump is involved.
The media’s reaction proves just how effective Trump’s McDonald’s stunt was. Instead of letting the event pass by, they amplified it, giving Trump more airtime while simultaneously reminding everyone about Harris’s dubious McDonald’s story. It’s like they walked right into the trap. This isn’t the first time we’ve seen campaign photo-ops go wrong, but Trump, in his usual style, somehow managed to look like he was having a great time flipping fries and chatting with drive-thru customers, all while the media was left choking on their fries, scrambling to make this a scandal.
“Stage-Managed Campaign Stop”
Words @WashingtonPost has never applied to a Kamala Harris scripted event where “supporters” that are actually campaign staff are brought in by caravans to show “support”.
1/2 pic.twitter.com/c0NJai2RGz— Brad Slager: A Folksy Coach & Joyful As a K-Hive! (@MartiniShark) October 21, 2024
In other words, the press played right into Trump’s hands, delivering exactly what he ordered. And once again, the real story was left in the fryer—Kamala’s highly questionable fast-food resume.
