Donald Trump Jr. has found a new way to criticize Vice President Kamala Harris, zeroing in on a detail from her past — her summer job at McDonald’s.
During an interview with Fox News’ Jesse Watters, Trump Jr. made a remark that got a lot of attention: “I think my father knows the McDonald’s menu better than Kamala Harris ever did.”
This comment comes after Harris mentioned in previous interviews that she worked at a McDonald’s in Alameda, located in the San Francisco Bay Area, during the summer of 1983.
It was a brief job from her college days, one that she has referenced as a learning experience early in her life.
However, Donald Trump and his son have not let this detail go, with the former president repeatedly questioning the truth of her story.
Although no concrete evidence has surfaced to dispute Harris’ account, the more than 40-year gap has made it difficult to verify either way.
Trump Jr. suggested that Harris was only using the story to sound more relatable to voters, saying, “I wish Bret would’ve asked which McDonald’s she worked at, because she’ll just tell you whatever you wanna hear to seem relatable and likable.” He was referring to a recent interview Harris did with Fox News anchor Bret Baier.
This isn’t the first time Donald Trump has focused on this particular part of Harris’ past. He’s brought it up multiple times during his campaign speeches, attempting to cast doubt on the accuracy of her claims.
In one such comment, he hinted at his own playful plan, joking that he might work at McDonald’s soon, claiming that he would take on “the French fry job.”
This odd fixation on Harris’ fast-food job might seem trivial, but for Trump and his supporters, it appears to serve as another way to undermine her authenticity.
The argument seems to be that Harris, despite her story, doesn’t really understand the struggles of everyday Americans, and her McDonald’s experience is just a convenient tale.
It’s worth noting that Donald Trump’s long-documented love for fast food, particularly McDonald’s, has been a running theme throughout his public life.
He’s been photographed numerous times enjoying meals from the fast-food chain, and it has become somewhat of a quirky part of his public image.
Trump Jr.’s comment about his father knowing the McDonald’s menu better than Harris fits into that narrative, making it an easy point for him to bring up.
Social media users were quick to react to Trump Jr.’s remark, with many noting how it was both an odd and amusing criticism. The idea that Donald Trump might be more familiar with a fast-food menu than the vice president was easy to believe for many online, and several found the whole exchange to be a strange flex.
The exchange also highlights a broader point of debate often seen in politics: relatability. It’s not uncommon for politicians to share personal anecdotes in order to connect with voters.
Harris has spoken before about her working-class upbringing and how jobs like the one at McDonald’s shaped her perspective. But for critics like Trump Jr., these stories are opportunities to question whether the politician is truly being genuine or simply crafting a narrative.
Whether or not Harris’ McDonald’s job should be a focal point in political discourse is up for debate, but it’s clear that Trump Jr. and his father are happy to keep it in the spotlight for as long as it continues to serve as an attack line.
At the very least, it gives them a chance to make a broader critique about what they view as a lack of authenticity in Harris’ public persona.
