From Kamala Harris’ teenage résumé to Donald Trump donning an apron at McDonald's, the fast-food giant has emerged as a notable topic in the 2024 election campaign.
Founded in 1954 in California, McDonald's has grown into a global franchise, operating 36,000 restaurants across more than 100 countries. Over the decades, it has played a significant role in various cultural contexts, from introducing American fast food to the Soviet Union to influencing suburban housing trends with the term "McMansion."
The golden arches have become a powerful emblem of American enterprise and international soft power, prompting candidates from both sides of the political spectrum to associate themselves with the brand. Harris has highlighted her connection to McDonald's since her 2019 presidential primary campaign, recalling her experience with striking Las Vegas workers: “I worked at McDonald's. I did the french fries and I did the ice cream... If we want to talk about these Golden Arches being a symbol for the best of America, well, the arches are falling short.”
Since becoming the presumptive Democratic nominee after Joe Biden's withdrawal in July, Harris and her husband, Doug Emhoff, have shared stories about their early jobs at McDonald's. In her first campaign ad, a voiceover emphasized her middle-class upbringing, stating, “She was the daughter of a working mom. And she worked at McDonald's while she got her degree. Kamala Harris knows what it's like to be middle class.”
As Harris' campaign gained traction, Donald Trump and his allies quickly questioned her claims, alleging that she was not truthful about her past employment. While McDonald's has not verified her work history—dating back to the summer of 1983—the New York Times cited Wanda Kagan, a friend of Harris, who recalled her mother mentioning that Kamala worked at McDonald's during that time.
Brian Hughes, a senior adviser for the Trump campaign, told Newsweek: “Kamala Harris is the one who said she worked there. If Harris and her campaign can't prove that, it tells you everything you need to know.”
Paul DiMaggio, a sociology professor at New York University, noted that Trump’s continued attacks on Harris may have inadvertently drawn more attention to her experiences. "Had he not chosen to do that, it would probably just be an uncontroversial line in Harris's stump speech and not get a whole lot of attention," he explained.
Trump himself made McDonald's a focal point of his campaign on October 20, when he appeared at a Pennsylvania McDonald's drive-thru, wearing a uniform and operating a fryer. He reiterated his claims about Harris, stating, "I'm going to McDonald's. I've really wanted to do this all my life, and now I'm going to do it. Because she didn't do it."
Business analyst Nadja Atwal remarked that both candidates have been providing "free advertising" for McDonald's throughout the campaign due to their frequent references to the franchise. DiMaggio suggested that Harris’s goal in emphasizing her past is to resonate with voters. “Politicians who grew up middle class and are running against opponents who grew up wealthy regularly refer to jobs they did when they were young to signal that they are in touch with regular Americans, and to imply that their opponents are not,” he said.
Research indicates that voters may not prioritize a presidential candidate's social class as much as expected. A 2023 Pew Research poll revealed that only 15% of respondents considered it "extremely" or "very" important for a candidate to share their economic background, while 53% deemed it "not too" or "not at all" important.
However, DiMaggio believes that Harris’s reference to working at McDonald's resonates with many because it reflects a common experience; according to the company, one in eight American workers has been employed by McDonald's at some point in their lives.
As for McDonald's, the franchise has remained neutral in the political arena. Following Trump's visit to a Pennsylvania location, the company's CFO and national field president, Joe Erlinger, stated, "McDonald's does not endorse candidates for elected office, and that remains true in this race for president. We are not red or blue—we are golden."
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