Former U.S. President Donald Trump, the Republican candidate for the upcoming November 5th election, spent part of his Sunday frying fries and taking orders at a McDonald's in Pennsylvania. "I've now worked 15 minutes longer in McDonald's than Kamala," Trump remarked to the press afterward, in what many perceive as a jab at his rival, Vice President Kamala Harris, whom he claims never worked at the popular fast-food chain.
Harris, during her presidential campaign, has often mentioned her stint with the fryer at McDonald's. "I worked there when I was a student," the Democrat shared in an interview on MSNBC last month. "One reason I talk about having worked at McDonald's is because there are people in our country working there trying to raise a family," Harris explained.
Despite this, Trump persists, without evidence, in asserting that the current second-in-command never held such a job. He reiterated this claim at a campaign rally last Friday in Detroit, accusing Harris of "lying about working at McDonald's."
Campaign Strategies and Public Perception
Trump's advisers have backed these actions. Jason Miller, the top advisor for Trump's campaign, told reporters on Saturday that Trump would make the stop "so that a candidate in this race can actually say they've worked in McDonald's." Miller added, "Since Kamala Harris hasn't, by tomorrow night President Trump will have worked at McDonald's. He'll have cooked more fries than Kamala Harris. I think it shows he connects with hardworking Americans."
Ian Sams, a spokesperson for Harris's campaign, countered, "When Trump feels desperate, all he does is lie. He can't comprehend what it's like to have a summer job because he was handed millions on a silver platter, only to squander them."
Election Projections and Electoral College Dynamics
With just two weeks until the U.S. elections, the latest forecast from FiveThirtyEight, which compiles national and key state polls, gives Trump a slight edge over Harris, noting a 52% chance of winning the election, according to Efe. Although the Democrat leads in national voter intention, the Republican appears more favored by the Electoral College, the system through which states allocate a set number of electoral votes to the winning candidate. Just two weeks ago, the same source projected Harris with a 58% chance of defeating Trump.