Donald Trump got behind the fryer at a McDonald's in the Philadelphia suburbs and manned the drive-thru counter yesterday in a bid to undermine Democratic nominee Kamala Harris.
Harris, 60, throughout her campaign has touted how she worked at the fast food chain during her college years in California. Trump claims that Harris never worked at the restaurant, but has not provided evidence to back that up.
Video captured from within the kitchen on Sunday showed Trump, 78, passing out orders to a group of grateful prearranged 'customers' - Trump supporters understood to have been pre-selected by his camp - who were were to see the ex-president serving their food and told him why they'll be supporting him in the election next month.
One man, apparently accompanied by his wife, told Trump, 78, 'you are the type of person we want to be the president', after thanking him for 'everything you're doing.' His passenger added: 'Thank you for taking the bullet for us.'
Another customer, who claimed to be originally from Brazil, shouted with enthusiasm when she pulled up to the window, before telling the GOP candidate: 'Mr President, please don’t let the United States become Brazil!' Trump, in his reply, vowed that 'we're going to make it better than ever.'
The restaurant in Feasterville-Trevose, which is part of Bucks County, a key swing voter area north of Philadelphia, was closed to the public for Trump's visit.
At a McDonald's in suburban Philadelphia on Sunday, Trump removed his suit jacket, put on a black and yellow apron and proceeded to cook batches of french fries, something he said he had wanted to do 'all my life'.
'I'm looking for a job. And I've always wanted to work at McDonald's but I never did,' Trump said as he introduced himself to franchise owner Derek Giacomantonio. 'I'm running against somebody that said she did, but it turned out to be a totally phony story.'
'So, if you don't mind, I want to work the French fry counter. How much are you paying me?' the billionaire ex-president said with a laugh.
Trump then proceeded to dip wire baskets of potatoes in sizzling oil before salting them and handing them out to customers through the restaurant's drive-through window. Thousands of people lined the street opposite the restaurant to watch.
He dodged most policy questions, including whether he backs an increase in the minimum wage, but did use the opportunity to take aim at his rival.
'I've now worked for 15 minutes more than Kamala,' Trump said, revisiting his claim that his rival didn't work at McDonald's as a student as she says she did.
Asked by a reporter why Harris would lie about working at the restaurant, Trump replied, 'Because she's "lying Kamala,"' applying a moniker.
Harris spokesman Ian Sams told Reuters that the stunt was a sign of the real estate mogul's desperation.
'All he knows how to do is lie,' he said. '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.'
The Harris campaign added that the Vice President worked the cash register, ice cream machine and fry machine at a McDonald's in Alameda, California in 1983.
The franchise had placed an advertisement in a local high school yearbook that year, which featured photographs of student-workers, although Harris was not one of them.
One of the students in the photos told the BBC that he did not recall the now-Democratic nominee working alongside him over 40 years ago.
But one of Harris' high school friends, Wanda Kagan, told the New York Times that she remembers the now-Vice President working at the fast food restaurant around that time.
Prior to Trump's arrival at the restaurant on Sunday, the first customer at the drive-thru was anything but random.
He identified himself to DailyMail.com only by his first name of Jim, and called himself a Trump supporter. He said he didn't believe Harris ever worked at the chain. 'I don't believe her at all,' he said.
As for his own order for a packed SUV, 'I think we're going to surprise with some chicken nuggets,' he said.
A massive security presence guarded the fast-food stop. Secret Service agents and local law enforcement secured the exurban corridor, with snipers on a nearby roof.
The throngs of MAGA fans lining the streets outside the restaurant booed loudly when cars brandishing Harris-Walz flags occasionally drove buy.
Fans let out chants of 'Trump! Trump! Trump!' in anticipation, even with little hope of catching a close-up glimpse of their favorite candidate.
The Trump campaign took extraordinary measures to control the event, letting in just a small 'pool' of reporters with no representative from print or online media for the photo-op.
It was a sign of the high stakes of the symbolism the campaign is deploying in an effort to peel away Blue Wall states by prying away working class voters from the suburbs and exurbs.
Trump was catering to a handful of prearranged 'customers' who were supporters. He also said the meals were taken care of, which speeded processing.
'I'm having a lot of fun here, everybody,' he declared.
Asked what he's getting paid, he quipped, 'Not enough – I want more money.'
'It's a good job, isn't it? Not bad. You have a nice owner?' Trump asked an employee inside the restaurant.
'Be careful, he's right there,' the ex-president said with a laugh. 'Be careful. Eight years, that's the end of that.'
With the boss looking on, the employee said that franchise owner, Giacomantonio, was great.
Asked about his own first summer job and entry-level positions, Trump told DailyMail.com through the drive-thru window: 'It requires expertise, I'm going through the whole french fry stuff. It's a whole process.'
'I’ll never forget this experience,' he said, without divulging anything about his time working for his father's business.
When a reporter asked through the window if he would accept the election results regardless of the outcome, Trump served up a dodge. 'Let's not talk about that,' he said.
Then later he said he would, but included a qualifier.
'Yeah, sure, if it’s a fair election,' he said. 'I would always accept it. It's got to be a fair election,' he said. Trump has repeatedly raised doubts about the 2020 election, even after courts threw out claims of massive fraud.
During his extended turn at the drive-thru window, Trump found himself in customer service mode, answering repeated questions from reporters. With security around the former president still high, there were no opportunities to interact with regular customers who might have popped in for a Big Mac or other menu item.
He even fielded a question from DailyMail.com about his latest chat with Benjamin Netanyahu, although he didn't reveal anything about plans a potential IDF attack on Iran.
'Bibi called me this morning. And he's obviously got things going well. He likes to hear what I have to say,' later clarifying that the call was Saturday.
Standing in his his blue apron with yellow straps, he wouldn't say if Netanyahu would hold off on attacking Iran. 'It would be very inappropriate. But they're certainly in a better position, and fortunately they didn't listen to Biden and Harris,' he said. 'They didn't want him to do this,' he said.
Trump even had birthday greetings for Harris when prompted.
'It's Kamala's birthday? She's 60 years old. I would say Happy Birthday, Kamala. She's turning 60. I think I'll get her some flowers. Maybe I'll get her some fries. Give her some McDonald's- I'll get her a McDonald's hamburger. Happy Birthday Kamala!' Trump said – pronouncing her name correctly.
Trump's supporters got wind of the event and lined the street north of the Pennsylvania Turnpike long before Trump was set to appear. Tractor trailer trucks sounded their horns when they drove by hundreds of supporters who cheered and raised Trump flags.
Giacomantonio posted a sign on his store, announcing the closure and writing that 'while we are not a political organization, we proudly open our doors to everyone.' He said the visit gave the chance to 'shine a light on the positive impact of small businesses.'
The Trump camp carefully shielded McDonald's employees when they were outside the restaurant, and asked a photographer to delete images of them for security purposes.
The Republican nominee is spending the entire day campaigning in Pennsylvania, most likely a must-win state for him or Harris.
'We're going to the Pittsburgh game tonight. Pittsburgh Steelers. Should be good,' said Trump at McDonald's
The eastern part of the state roots for the Philadelphia Eagles, but there isn't a strong rivalry between the teams.
Asked his favorite menu item, Trump - known for his love of fast food - responded: 'I like it all ... I like every ounce of it, everything. But I do like the French fries, where I'll be working.'
Trump had been teasing the visit for weeks as a way to turn up the heat on his rival, as he did again at a rally in Latrobe near Pittsburgh Saturday night, when he once again accused his rival of faking her own claim to have worked there as a student.
Trump claimed she 'lied about working at McDonald's,' then added: 'That's like not a big thing, but can I be honest with you, it's terrible,' he said at an event where he spoke about the size of golf legend Arnold Palmer's manhood.
'I'm going to McDonald's to work the french fry,' Trump said. 'I think I'm doing it tomorrow, and I think it's in a place in Pennsylvania, and I'm going to stand over that french fry.'
Trump's team has also been raising doubts about Harris's resume.
His senior advisor Jason Miller said Trump was doing the visit 'so that one candidate in this race can actually have worked at McDonald's.'
'Since Kamala Harris has not, President Trump by the end of tomorrow will have worked at McDonald's. He'll have done fries more than Kamala Harris ever has,' he said. 'I think it shows he connects with hard-working Americans.'
Harris has said she did fries and worked the cash register at a California McDonald's while she was a student at Howard University. Her campaign has said she worked at an Alameda franchise in 1983.
Harris also referenced her time working there in her 2019 presidential campaign. Her camp hasn't furnished any photos of her youthful job there, although Trump has not provided any evidence that she lied about it.
Trump's own jobs early in life were working for his father's real estate company at construction sites and offices, which he did along with brothers Fred Jr. and Robert, according to the Miller Center at the University of Virginia.
It is just the latest effort by Trump to undermine Harris. In Atlanta last month and again during a podcast interview days ago, Trump raised questions about her racial identity (Harris's father is from Jamaica and her mother was of Indian descent).
Trump has good reason to be hitting Bucks county, located north of the city of Philadelphia.
It is a populous 'purple' county whose votes are up for grabs.
Hillary Clinton narrowly edged Trump there in 2016, beating him 48.4 to 47.6 percent.
Joe Biden widened the margin in 2020, garnering 52 percent of the vote.
Trump carried the state with its 19 electoral votes in 2016, but Biden snatched it from him in 2020, winning by just 1 percent of the vote.
Harris highlighted her time at mickey D's during the Democratic convention.
She spoke about it again last week as Trump was accusing her of faking it.
'Part of the reason I even talk about having worked at McDonald's is because there are people who work at McDonald's in our country who are trying to raise a family and pay rent on that,' she told MSNBC.
'And I think part of the difference between me and my opponent includes our perspective on the needs of the American people, and what our responsibility then is to meet those needs.'
'But it was not a small job, like, I did the fries. I mean, you know, I did,' she said.
Trump has been building up the appearance since a rally in Reno October 10. '
'Do you know what I am doing next week? I am going to a McDonald's to work!' he told the crowd.
He mentioned it again in Arizona, saying he would work the fryer 'so I can see how hard her job that never turned out would be.'
Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro spoke to the closeness of the race on NBC's 'Meet the Press' Sunday.
''Well, I think if past is prologue, we're set for another close race here in Pennsylvania. Let me explain: 2016, the race was decided by 44,000 votes. Donald Trump won here in Pennsylvania. In 2020, the race was settled by 80,000 votes. Joe Biden won. In both instances, it came down to a point or less. So the fact that you have polls showing that it's, you know, a jump ball, a statistical dead heat, maybe Kamala Harris is up a point or so – that is not a shock,' he said.
