Vice President Kamala Harris has shared memories of her time working at a McDonald’s in the Bay Area 41 years ago, a detail that resonates with many Americans who have worked in fast food. However, former President Donald Trump has repeatedly accused her of fabricating this experience, despite lacking any evidence for his claims.
Trump’s allegations seem unfounded, drawing parallels to his previous false claims about President Barack Obama’s birthplace. While questions about whether a candidate flipped burgers may seem trivial, Trump aims to undermine Harris’s credibility, portraying her as inauthentic.
On Sunday, Trump plans to visit a McDonald’s in Philadelphia, jokingly stating he would work the fries, while his aide remarked, “So that one candidate in this race could have actually worked at McDonald’s.”
Harris’s campaign asserts she worked at a McDonald’s on Central Avenue in Alameda, California, during the summer after her freshman year at Howard University, but has not disclosed how long she was employed there. She previously mentioned this job during her 2019 presidential campaign.
The controversy puts Harris in a challenging position. Providing proof from so long ago, like pay stubs, is difficult.
McDonald’s has not responded to media inquiries for confirmation, and addressing Trump’s claims could inadvertently validate them.
While Harris’s campaign did not provide interviews from friends or family, The New York Times spoke with Wanda Kagan, a high school friend, who recalled Harris working at McDonald’s. Kagan shared that Harris’s mother had mentioned the job years ago, noting that many teenagers held similar positions.
Ian Sams, a spokesperson for Harris, dismissed Trump’s claims as lies, stating, “When Trump feels desperate, all he knows how to do is lie.” He contrasted Harris’s humble summer job with Trump’s inherited wealth.
Harris’s résumé from 1987, when she applied for a summer position with the Alameda County district attorney, did not include her McDonald’s job, a detail the Washington Free Beacon highlighted to support Trump’s assertion. The absence of this job raises questions about why it wasn’t listed, especially on a legal application.
Throughout her career, Harris rarely mentioned her McDonald’s experience, leaving even some close friends unaware of it.
Notably, she did not include it in her memoir, focusing instead on her education and other roles.
Harris first highlighted her McDonald’s job during her presidential campaign in 2019, standing with striking workers in Las Vegas advocating for a $15 minimum wage. She referred to McDonald’s as a symbol of American opportunity, stating, “The arches are falling short.”
In her current campaign, she uses her McDonald’s experience to emphasize her middle-class roots and support for workers, contrasting her background with Trump’s billionaire status. She acknowledges that her time at McDonald’s was a summer job to earn extra money, reflecting on the struggles many Americans face in low-wage jobs. “Some of the people I worked with were raising families on that paycheck,” she said in August.
Related topics:
- Burger King Trials Six New Burgers in Swindon
- Burger King Launches Exclusive Gourmet Kings Menu in Bognor
- Chipotle Invests in AI Supply Chain Platform Lumachain