McDonald's has finally revealed why it cannot provide records to confirm Vice President Kamala Harris' statement that she worked at one of their restaurants in the 1980s.
In a memo sent to McDonald's USA franchisees, the company confirmed that although Harris has "fond memories" of working at a Alameda County location, neither the company nor its franchisees maintain records for all positions going back to the early 1980s. A copy of the internal memo was posted on social media by an anonymous McDonald's franchise, and was later confirmed by the WSJ. At a 2019 rally with fast food workers, Harris said that she worked at McDonald's during her college years.
McDonald's Clears the Air
In April 2024, during an appearance on The Drew Barrymore Show, Harris repeated her claim that she "did fries" at the restaurant. The Harris campaign later clarified that she worked at the Central Avenue McDonald's in Alameda, California, during the summer of 1983, after her freshman year at Howard University.
However, the campaign has not been able to provide any proof to support the vice president's claim, such as a photograph, a pay stub, or a former co-worker who can verify her employment.
Employees at the franchise in Alameda, California, told the Telegraph that they have been asked to remain silent about Harris when approached by reporters.
Harris did not mention her time working at McDonald's until she launched her presidential campaign and participated in protests with fast food workers in 2019 to advocate for raising the minimum wage.
According to the Washington Free Beacon, her job resume submitted after college does not include any mention of her employment at McDonald's.
The Harris campaign has used her claim of working at McDonald's to bolster her working-class credentials.
"You have a vice president who always thought of the middle class...when she was in college she had a job at McDonald's while she was getting her degree," Deputy Communications Director Brooke Goren told reporters at the Democratic National Committee in June.
Truth Still Not Known
Another staff member described her journey from working at McDonald's to becoming vice president as "the embodiment of the American dream."
Trump has targeted Harris' claim of working at McDonald's, implying that she fabricated the story.
On Sunday, the former president stopped by a McDonald's in Pennsylvania, donned an apron, and prepared several batches of fries in the kitchen. He then went on to serve food to customers at the drive-thru window.
"I've now worked for 15 minutes more than Kamala at McDonald's," he told reporters and customers after his visit.
The memo from McDonald's stated that the company "does not endorse candidates for elected office." The corporation permitted Trump's visit in alignment with its "core values" of being "open to everyone."
Harris campaign officials did not provide any new proof to support her claim of having worked at McDonald's. When a reporter asked the Vice President on Monday if she had ever worked at the fast food chain, Harris responded, "Did I? Yes, I did."
