Honestly, if you had "former President works the fry station" on your 2024 bingo card, you're probably doing better than most of us. On October 20, 2024, the political world basically stopped and stared at a McDonald's in Feasterville-Trevose, Pennsylvania. It wasn't just a quick photo op with a burger. Donald Trump actually donned the apron, handled the oil, and started bagging fries.
The whole thing felt surreal. You've got a billionaire who usually flies in a private jet standing over a deep fryer in Bucks County. But behind the memes and the "Donald McDonald" nicknames, there was a very specific strategy at play. It wasn't just about the food; it was a direct, pointed jab at Vice President Kamala Harris.
The Logistics: Was it a Real Shift?
People kept asking if he actually "worked" there. Well, yes and no. It’s not like he filled out an application and went through a background check for a part-time gig. The restaurant was actually closed to the public during his visit.
The people in the drive-thru weren't random locals who happened to be craving a McDouble. They were pre-screened supporters. If you were looking for a spontaneous encounter with the former president while in your pajamas at the drive-thru, you would've been disappointed.
What actually happened inside:
- The Uniform: Trump ditched his suit jacket but kept the white shirt and yellow tie, throwing a black-and-yellow McDonald's apron over the top.
- The Training: A regular employee showed him the ropes. He learned how to dunk the wire baskets into the oil, how to wait for the timer, and—crucially—how to salt the fries.
- The Scoop: He seemed genuinely fascinated by the fry scoop. He actually mentioned being a germophobe and was happy he didn't have to touch the food with his hands. "It requires great expertise," he said, and he looked like he was having a blast doing it.
Why the French Fries Mattered So Much
This wasn't just about Trump’s well-known love for fast food (we all remember the 2019 White House feast with the Clemson Tigers). This was a calculated move to challenge a core part of Kamala Harris's "middle-class" narrative.
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Harris has frequently mentioned working at McDonald's during her college years at Howard University. She uses it to connect with everyday workers. Trump, on the other hand, has claimed—without providing specific evidence—that she never actually worked there. By showing up and "working" a shift, he wanted to say he had now spent more time behind the counter than she ever did.
It was a bit of a "troll" move, especially since it happened on Harris’s 60th birthday.
The Fallout: Yelp Wars and "MAGADonald's"
The internet did what the internet does. Within hours, the Feasterville McDonald's was getting absolutely nuked on Yelp. People who weren't even in Pennsylvania were leaving 1-star reviews because they hated the politics, or 5-star reviews because they loved the stunt.
Yelp eventually had to step in. They placed an "unusual activity alert" on the page and disabled new reviews. It’s a classic 2020s problem: a local business gets caught in the crossfire of a national election.
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The Brand's Reaction
McDonald's corporate was in a tough spot. They didn't invite him, but they didn't block it either. The franchise owner, Derek Giacomantonio, said he opened his doors because he's "nonpartisan." The corporate office later sent a memo to employees saying, "We are not red or blue—we are golden." Basically, they just wanted to sell burgers without getting canceled by half the country.
Expert Analysis: Did it Actually Work?
If you talk to political strategists, the reviews are mixed. Some, like Arizona Republican strategist Barrett Marson, called it a "puzzling detour." They wondered why he was spending time on a decades-old employment dispute instead of talking about the economy or the border.
But if you look at the "Discover" feed or TikTok, it was a massive win for his media team. It was humanizing. It was funny. It was "memeable." For a candidate who thrives on being "one of the people" despite his wealth, the image of him handing a bag of fries through a window to a cheering family is gold.
Real-World Impact and Surprising Details
One thing people often miss is how much this visit disrupted the local area. Police had to close down Street Road. Thousands of people lined the sidewalks just to see the motorcade.
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Interestingly, Trump mentioned at a later summit in Washington, D.C., that he "almost knew" he was going to win the 2024 election the moment he saw the reaction at that drive-thru window. He described the "love" from the people in the cars as a turning point for his confidence.
Actionable Takeaways from the "Fry Shift"
If you're following political branding or just curious about how these stunts work, here’s the reality:
- Check the Context: Always look at whether an event was "staged" (closed to the public) or "spontaneous." Most high-level political stops are the former.
- Look for the "Why": Candidates rarely do things just for fun. This was about undermining a specific opponent's biography.
- Monitor Local Impact: If you're a business owner, seeing how Yelp handled the Feasterville location is a good lesson in crisis management.
- Verify the Claims: Despite the spectacle, neither the Trump nor Harris camps produced 40-year-old tax records or schedules to "prove" the McDonald's employment claims one way or the other.
To get the full picture of how these campaign moments influenced the 2024 results, you should compare the voter turnout in Bucks County specifically against previous years to see if "retail politics" like this actually moved the needle.