Donald Trump's McDonald's stint backfires: 'Imagine being this petty'

Dressed in a black and yellow apron, the former President took over the internet on Sunday (20 October) as he worked at a McDonald’s in Feasterville, Pennsylvania. Donald Trump, unhappy with Kamala Harris’ popularity, did the stint as a dig at Harris after her claims that she worked at a McDonald’s in the summer of 1983.

The Vice President, according to her campaign, worked at McDonald’s on Central Avenue in Alameda, California, when she was a student. Trump has previously questioned her claims.

In his recent stint at McDonald’s, he managed the fry station, lifted a basket of fries out of hot oil, salted them, and served meals to people lined up outside the drive-through.

Donald Trump’s ‘staged’ McDonalds working shift

Reportedly, the people lined up outside the drive-through were carefully screened supporters. While Trump’s McDonald’s photo-op looked like a spontaneous chance for him to interact with working-class voters, it was, in fact, a meticulously stage-managed affair, reports The Washington Post.

The McDonald's branch in Feasterville was actually closed to the public during Trump's visit, meaning no local customers were allowed to place actual orders. Instead, US Secret Service agents screened a group of pre-selected motorists who lined up in cars outside the drive-through to receive meals prepared by the former President.

In reality, the attendees didn’t order their meals, as Trump handed out pre-packed bags with no real interaction beyond a wave and a handshake.

It is understood that his time at the fry station lasted about 5 minutes, and he spent another 15 minutes answering reporters' questions from the window.

The billionaire-turned-politician deflected a question about increasing minimum wages and instead took a dig at Harris. As he wrapped up his brief McDonald’s shift, Trump said:

Now I’ve worked for 15 minutes more than Kamala.

Donald Trump mocked for his ‘staged’ McDonalds visit

While Trump and his team may have thought they could use the McDonald’s stint to their advantage, the entire event has sparked criticism of the former POTUS. Trump’s McDonald’s appearance was met with a wave of snark and amusement on social media, with users accusing him of 'fooling his rube fans into thinking he understands their plight,' reports HuffPost.

Critics flooded platforms like X and Instagram with memes and humorous commentary. One wrote:

Does @McDonalds hire convicted felons?

Another added:

BREAKING: McDonald’s replaces The Hamburglar with another well-known felon

A third chimed in:

Meanwhile, Harris’ team has previously called Trump’s moves to discredit her ‘desperate.’ They said:

When Trump feels desperate, all he knows how to do is lie. He can’t understand what it’s like to have a summer job because he was handed millions on a silver platter, only to blow it.

Read more:

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Donald Trump's claim of 'never having empty seats' shattered by viral photos and videos

Sources used:

The Washington Post: Trump serves McDonald’s fries to supporters in stage-managed campaign stop

HuffPost: Trump Gets Clowned With Super-Sized McMemes After McDonald's Photo Op