President Donald Trump leaned into a bit of showmanship at the McDonald’s Impact Summit 2025, using a short stint behind the fryer to connect with franchise owners and underline his blue-collar credibility while taking a few barbs at Vice President Kamala Harris. He framed McDonald’s as a symbol of affordability and American innovation, tying the chain’s value to broader economic gains. The remarks mixed humor, campaign callbacks and specific claims about falling food prices as he urged franchisees to keep serving customers well.
Trump opened by reminding the crowd of a memorable moment and using it as a bridge to working Americans, casting himself as someone who understands the front lines of service work. He joked about a brief apron-wearing past and used that connection to land a partisan jab. The tone was equal parts self-deprecating and proudly populist, meant to rally franchisees around his message.
“I’m honored to stand before you as the very first former McDonald’s fry cook ever to become President of the United States,” Trump said. “And I actually was there for about 30 minutes, and that was 30 minutes longer than Kamala was there, despite her job at McDonald’s. That didn’t work out too well.”
He revisited the October 2024 campaign moment when he donned a McDonald’s apron in Pennsylvania and worked the fryer for cameras, turning a stunt into a talking point about real work and common touch. That event was meant to show voters he’s in tune with everyday jobs and the small businesses that hire millions. At the summit he made those same themes relevant to franchise owners, framing their work as central to American life.
“Hello, everybody. It’s my first day at McDonald’s — I’m looking for a job,” Trump said as he shook hands with the owner. “I’ve now worked for 15 minutes more than Kamala at McDonald’s.”
Trump walked the floor, greeted employees, handed out fries and took drive-thru orders while bringing the conversation back to wages and affordability. He used those moments to argue that leaders should focus on keeping prices reasonable for families and preserving jobs in communities. Small gestures like tossing fries and joking about birthdays were woven into a broader pitch about economic common sense.
“I’m also one of your all-time most loyal customers,” Trump said. “Other politicians fly around on campaign planes stocked with expensive catering.”
“When Trump Force One — prior to ascending to Air Force One — flew during the campaign, we served only McDonald’s almost every time. On occasion we couldn’t find one, which is pretty hard to believe, but we really did.”
“You fed us very well, and I even got Bobby Kennedy to eat a Big Mac. He told me he loved it.”
At the summit, Trump praised McDonald’s for being affordable and for maintaining steady prices during turbulent times, pitching the chain as an example of American business getting it right. He credited value meals and global reach for helping families stretch their budgets while keeping workers employed across the country. That framing linked a national economic message to a brand people recognize and use every day.
“In the past six months, the price of breakfast items has fallen 14%,” Trump said. “Bread prices are down, dairy prices are down, and the price of eggs has declined 86% since March. I want to give a very special thanks to McDonald’s for slashing prices for the most popular items. We’re getting prices down for this country, and there’s no better leader or advocate than McDonald’s.”
He closed by calling on franchise owners to stay focused on quality and affordability, painting McDonald’s as a launchpad for dreams and steady work. “From the cashier starting her first job, to a franchisee opening his first location, to the young family in a drive-thru line — that’s the American dream,” Trump said. “I made the French fries, and the response was love.”
