
Ah, Kamala Harris and her McDonald’s saga—it just keeps getting juicier, doesn’t it? The Vice President’s claim that she worked at McDonald’s in the 1980s has been under scrutiny for a while now, and McDonald’s finally decided to chime in. In a memo to franchisees, the fast-food giant confirmed that surprise, surprise, they don’t have records to verify Harris’s summer stint “doing fries” at their Alameda County location. Convenient, right?
Let’s set the stage here. Back in 2019, Harris was rallying with fast-food workers, pushing for a minimum wage increase, when she casually dropped that she used to work at McDonald’s during her college days. It was a nice little nugget of relatability, perfect for a politician looking to connect with the working class. Then, fast-forward to 2024, and she doubles down on this claim during an interview with Drew Barrymore. But hold the ketchup—where’s the proof? No pay stubs, no photos, and apparently not even a single former co-worker willing to back up the story.
McDonald’s came out with a corporate shrug, saying they simply don’t have records from the early ’80s. You know, because apparently, filing cabinets weren’t a thing back then. Sure, that’s possible. But what makes this whole situation even more hilarious is that employees at the alleged McDonald’s where Harris worked have been, get this, “sworn to secrecy.” Secrecy? Really? Over a fast-food job from four decades ago? It’s almost like we’re talking about a covert CIA mission, not a summer spent flipping burgers.
This is an internal statement to the McDonald’s system from the US Senior Leadership Team regarding today’s visit by the Trump campaign to a local franchisee in Pennsylvania. The statement outlines the origins of the event, the company’s response, and an invitation extended to… pic.twitter.com/1GntbmDbbY
— McFranchisee (@McFranchisee) October 20, 2024
And then there’s the missing detail from her résumé. According to reports, Harris’s post-college résumé makes no mention of her McDonald’s job. You’d think something so pivotal to her “working-class credentials” might’ve made the cut. But nope, it’s conveniently absent, leaving us all to wonder if this is just another case of political embellishment. It wouldn’t be the first time, after all. Harris didn’t start reminiscing about her time at the Golden Arches until she was running for president and trying to cozy up to fast-food workers. Funny how that works, isn’t it?
Enter Donald Trump. Never one to miss a golden (arch) opportunity, Trump swooped into a Pennsylvania McDonald’s, donned an apron, and worked the fry station. In true Trump fashion, he turned it into a spectacle, quipping to reporters, “I’ve now worked for 15 minutes more than Kamala at McDonald’s.” You can almost hear the snickers from his base. It’s classic Trump—turning Harris’s claim into a punchline while at the same time positioning himself as the guy who, despite his billionaire status, isn’t afraid to roll up his sleeves and get to work.
And what’s Harris’s response to all this? When asked by a reporter if she worked at McDonald’s, she stuck to her guns and simply replied, “Did I? Yes, I did.” Bold move, but with no evidence to back it up, her insistence is starting to sound more like a political talking point than an actual life experience.
TRUMP “I’ve worked 15 more mins than Kamala” 😂😂 pic.twitter.com/O10hs1dAQL
— Iqbal Hossain (@yki_niassoh) October 20, 2024
At this point, Harris’s McDonald’s stint feels like it belongs in the same category as other politicians’ tales that don’t quite add up. Her campaign has tried to sell her journey from flipping burgers to the vice presidency as the embodiment of the American Dream, but without any real proof, it’s hard not to see it as just another attempt to connect with voters in an inauthentic way.
So, what do we have here? Trump serving fries and scoring political points, while Harris continues to dig her heels into a story that’s as thin as a McDonald’s napkin. One thing’s for sure—this is shaping up to be the fast-food fight we didn’t know we needed.