Donald Trump’s obsession with questioning Kamala Harris’ work experience at McDonald’s peaked over the weekend when he worked the fry cooker at a Pennsylvania branch — without a hairnet or gloves.
McDonald’s workers have now given their verdict on the former president’s performance – and came away less than impressed.
Trump has baselessly called his Democratic opponent’s summer stint at a McDonald’s “a lie,” so he decided to try his hand at the fast-food chain himself, shutting down a Bucks County restaurant to do so.
While serving food through the drive-thru window and working the fry cooker, some have pointed out that he wasn’t taking proper precautions — at a location that has previously been cited for health code violations.
Earlier this year, this location didn’t meet the compliance requirements of the Bucks County Health Department. A health inspection in March at the Feasterville-Trevose location resulted in four violations, including citing employees not having their “hands clean & properly washed.”
“Food employees are not washing their hands as required before putting on gloves, after handling soiled tableware, after handling raw meat, before handling clean tableware, equipment, utensils. CFSM must review hand washing requirements with staff. Observed employees handling raw beef with gloves and then switching gloves without hand washing step in-between,” the health inspector wrote.
The report also noted a lack of hairnets: “Food workers are not wearing hair restraints as required, which includes management that assists in packaging and preparing food. Employees shall wear hair restraints such as hats, hair coverings or nets, that are effectively designed and worn to keep their hair from contacting exposed food; clean equipment, utensils and linens; and unwrapped single-service and single-use articles.”
This Sunday’s photoshoot of the former president captured him in a white button-down shirt, ketchup-colored tie and a blue apron with yellow stripes — but without gloves or a hairnet while working at the McDonald’s stop in the swing state.
The Independent has reached out to the Bucks County Health Department and a representative for McDonald’s for comment.
Workers for the fast food chain shared their opinions in the Reddit thread r/McDonaldsEmployees and were quick to point out that Trump did not seem to meet the chain’s typical requirements.
DodgyRogue asked: “Where’s his approved uniform shirt? His hat?”
Adinnieken added: “As evidenced by other pictures, he’s not wearing non-slips shoes, and he wasn’t wearing a hairnet.”
And Rofflewafflelol wrote: “Great, so he passed out bags of food for 5 minutes for a photo op….. now let’s see him actually take on the responsibility of a full shift every day for a few years.
“This is cosplay and insulting to people who have actually worked any amount of time in their lives.”
The restaurant closed down for 30 minutes while Trump played dress up. It’s unclear if the branch’s workers were paid during that interim.
The average fast foodworker earns $13 to $15 per hour nationwide, federal data shows. While Harris has earned endorsements from several influential unions, including Service Employees International Union, which supported the nationwide Fight for $15 campaign, Trump dodged a question on Sunday about whether he supported increasing the minimum wage.
“Well, I think this. These people work hard,” Trump replied instead. “They’re great. And I just saw something – a process that’s beautiful.”
The unorthodox campaign stop was Trump’s latest attempt at a personal jab at Harris, who he has baselessly claimed never worked at the fast-food chain.
“I’ve now worked 15 minutes more than Kamala” at a McDonald’s, a blue apron-clad Trump told reporters out of a drive-thru window on Sunday.
Last week, the former president’s eldest son Donald Trump Jr also repeated this claim, saying he believed she was discussing her McDonald’s job “to seem relatable and likable.”
Don Jr then boasted: “I think my father knows the McDonald’s menu much better than Kamala Harris ever did.”