Was Donald Trump's McDonald's move 'staged'?

During a campaign stop in the key battleground state of Pennsylvania, former President Donald Trump visited a McDonald's and learned how to make french fries at a branch in Feasterville-Trevose in Bucks County.

On Sunday, the Republican presidential candidate held an impromptu press conference through the drive-thru window. Trump, who is known for his love of fast food, used the opportunity to attack Harris for claiming she never worked at a fast food chain while she was in college. The vice president previously said she worked at McDonald's as a student at Howard University in Washington.

However, rumors are circulating on social media that Trump's visit to McDonald's was “staged.”

According to a post on Reddit, a signed letter posted on the storefront by Derek Giacomantonio, the unit's manager, states: “We plan to remain closed until 4 p.m. on Sunday, October 20th for a visit.” at the request of former President Trump and his campaign.”

The message ended with, “I apologize for the inconvenience caused by the closure of our restaurant and I sincerely look forward to serving you soon.”

Newsweek cannot verify the authenticity of the letter.

Images from the social media post appear to show the same location where Trump worked. One photo appears to show an employee standing in front of the transit signal cars.

The Washington Post reported that the restaurant was closed to the public during Trump's visit and the customers Trump served were screened by the Secret Service and positioned prior to his arrival.

Giacomantonio, the owner of the McDonald's franchise, said in a statement: “It is a core value of my organization that we proudly open our doors to anyone who visits the Feasterville community.”

According to a press release from his campaign, “President Donald J. Trump prepared for a shift at a McDonald's in Bucks County, Pennsylvania.”

A full shift generally means 8 to 9 hours of work, but posts circulating on social media suggest Trump worked there for less.

“Well, I'm looking for a job and I've always wanted to work at McDonald's, but I never did. I'm going up against someone who said that, but it turns out it was a completely false story. So “If you don’t mind, I want to work at the french fry counter,” Trump said to the store owner upon his arrival.

As his co-workers and reporters observed, a McDonald's employee explained to him how to put French fries in the oil, salt them and pack them into boxes using a scoop.

“I've now worked 15 minutes longer than Kamala… She never worked here,” the former president said through the drive-thru window on Sunday.

Trump has repeated his baseless claim that the Democratic presidential nominee lied about working at McDonald's. The vice president said she worked at the burger chain during her failed presidential bid in 2019.

Harris' campaign says she worked at a franchise on Central Avenue in Alameda, California, in the summer of 1983 after her freshman year at Howard University.

Newsweek has reached out to the Trump and Harris campaigns for comment.

Does McDonald's hire convicted felons?

Jon Cooper, a former campaign manager for former President Barack Obama, said in a post on X (formerly Twitter): “The irony is that Trump's 34 felony convictions would prevent him from getting a job at McDonald's.”

However, this appears to be a false statement as McDonald's is on a list of felon-friendly employers, according to the US Probation Department.

McDonald's hires convicted felons in the United States, although specific policies may vary depending on location, type of crime and how much time has passed since conviction.

Most McDonald's locations are franchised, meaning each franchise owner can set their own hiring policies, which may vary from location to location.

One Indeed user said in a comment: “Yes, they hire criminals. The most important thing is to prove that you have rehabilitated yourself, i.e. that you have successfully completed your suspended sentence for a crime.”

As a 7-time felon/5-time felon, I worked at a McDonald's restaurant in Kalamazoo, MI for almost a year and only resigned due to very poor management of the franchise I worked at and a serious illness in the family. In other words: I believe that they examine the hiring of criminals on a case-by-case basis.”

Newsweek has reached out to McDonald's for comment.