McDonald’s makes it clear it isn’t endorsing Trump after drive-thru visit: ‘We open our doors to everyone’

Trump ran a frying station in a McDonald’s in suburban Philadelphia on Sunday before answering questions through the drive-thru window. The restaurant was closed to the public for the Republican candidate’s visit.

In a letter to employees obtained by The Associated Press on Monday, McDonald’s said the owner and operator of the location, Derek Giacomantonio, reached out to it after learning of Trump’s desire to visit a Pennsylvania restaurant. McDonald’s approved this event.

“When we learned of the former president’s request, we approached it through the lens of one of our core values: opening our doors to everyone,” the company said. “McDonald’s does not endorse candidates for elected office, and that remains true in this race for the next president. We are not red or blue, we are gold.”

The Chicago burger giant said franchisees also invited Vice President Kamala Harris, the Democratic nominee, and her lieutenant governor, Tim Walz, to their restaurants. The Associated Press left a message seeking comment with the Harris campaign.

McDonald’s said it “has been a staple of the conversation this election cycle” although it did not seek that attention. At several campaign stops and during interviews, Harris did just that I remembered working at McDonald’s To spend money during her college years. Trump has claimed – without evidence – that Harris is lying.

McDonald’s avoided this issue in its employee letter. The company said it was proud of Harris’ “fond memories of working under the arches,” and pointed to the often-cited figure that 1 in 8 Americans works at McDonald’s at some point.

“Although we and our franchisees do not have records of all positions dating back to the early 1980s, what makes ‘1 in 8’ so powerful is the shared experience that many Americans have had,” McDonald’s said.

Trump’s appearance led to some backlash on social media. Google searches for the phrase “boycott McDonald’s” briefly spiked Monday morning, with some Twitter users vowing to do so Not coming back To the series after the Trump event.

But Lori Rosen, president of public relations firm Rosen Group, said McDonald’s likely won’t see long-term damage from the event.

“The coverage and publicity generated by McDonald’s agreeing to have former President Trump work at one of its branches already exceeds the negative chatter on social media,” Rosen said. “I’m not sure if the American people will benefit from this publicity stunt. However, McDonald’s comes out on top.

Bruce Newman, professor of business ethics and marketing at DePaul University’s Driehaus College of Business, agrees.

“It feels like a company that gets attention from presidential candidates and increases brand awareness,” he said.

Newman added that Trump was likely trying to put a different, more casual face on his campaign, wearing a smile and an apron instead of a suit jacket.