Sylvia Kline ‘28

Former President Donald Trump, clad with a kitchen apron, served french fries out of the McDonald’s drive-thru window in Philadelphia on Oct. 20. A hilarious portrayal of the billionaire-businessman, taking this new ‘job’ signifies more than an edifying campaign photo op.

Combating the central campaign focus of Vice President Kamala Harris and simultaneously digging at Kamala Harris’s past employment, the Trump campaign is working to broaden their horizons and make his exorbitantly wealthy background far more palatable to the American middle class.

Trump stopped by a McDonald’s in suburban Philadelphia to cook and serve fries to pre-selected customers through the drive-thru. The entire restaurant was closed to the public during his fast-food stint. Clips of this bizarre circumstance have floated around TikTok, Instagram and Facebook, exhibiting his devoted fans greeting him with praise.

An integral part of Harris’s campaign has been her middle-class background and the hard work of her mother throughout her entire childhood. Harris often expresses the reliability of her background, demonstrating that her family’s story is the story of millions of hard working Americans which poses a stark contrast to Trump’s wealthy background and the hundreds of thousands of dollars handed down to him from his father.

Despite this shallow attempt at appealing to the middle class, this was more of an attack on Harris and her campaign than anything, and not a genuine appeal to the middle class. Trump has publicly speculated that Harris was lying about her claims of working at McDonald’s throughout her college career, and this was undoubtedly a jab at her past employment.“I’ve now worked [at McDonald’s] for 15 minutes more than Kamala,” he stated out of the drive-thru window.

Additionally, as Trump and Harris blaze the campaign trails through battleground states, this may have been a last ditch effort from Trump to win over the very sect that Harris has campaigned for over the course of her roughly 100 days as the Democratic candidate.

The New York Times and Siena College Poll released on Oct. 25 found that Harris and Trump remain deadlocked, with 48% of respondents preferring the candidate on either side. These results don’t stray too far from others, with the Wall Street Journal stating Trump is favored 3% higher than Harris—but USA Today, Reuters and Monmouth University stating Harris is favored anywhere between 1-3% higher than Trump. This intense contention—with just less than two weeks before the election—stresses the importance of winning swing states like Michigan, Pennsylvania, Georgia and Wisconsin for both candidates.

With the Nov. 5 election looming, ensure you are aware of your voter registration status and have a plan to cast your vote. For more information, visit vote.org.

The Fight for the Middle Class