McDonald’s agreed to Trump event but says it isn’t endorsing a presidential candidate

McDonald’s Corp. agreed to host former President Donald Trump at a Pennsylvania retailer over the weekend however mentioned it isn’t endorsing a candidate within the U.S. presidential race.

Trump staffed the fry station at a McDonald’s in suburban Philadelphia on Sunday earlier than answering questions via the drive-thru window. The restaurant was closed to the general public for the Republican nominee’s go to.

In a message to workers obtained Monday by The Related Press, McDonald’s mentioned the owner-operator of the placement, Derek Giacomantonio reached out after he realized of Trump’s want to go to a Pennsylvania restaurant. McDonald’s agreed to the occasion.

“Upon studying of the previous president’s request, we approached it via the lens of certainly one of our core values: we open our doorways to everybody,” the corporate mentioned. “McDonald’s doesn’t endorse candidates for elected workplace and that continues to be true on this race for the following president. We aren’t pink or blue – we’re golden.”

The Chicago burger large mentioned franchisees have additionally invited Vice President Kamala Harris, the Democratic nominee, and her operating mate, Gov. Tim Walz, to their eating places. The Related Press left a message searching for remark with the Harris marketing campaign.

McDonald’s mentioned it has “been a fixture of dialog this election cycle” regardless that it hasn’t sought that focus. At a number of marketing campaign stops and through interviews, Harris has recalled working at McDonald’s for spending cash throughout her school years. Trump has claimed – with out proof – that Harris is mendacity.

McDonald’s sidestepped that challenge in its worker message. The corporate mentioned it’s pleased with “Harris’s fond recollections working below the arches” and famous the often-cited determine that 1 in 8 People works at McDonald’s in some unspecified time in the future.

“Whereas we and our franchisees don’t have information for all positions relationship again to the early ‘80s, what makes ‘1 in 8’ so highly effective is the shared expertise so many People have had,” McDonald’s mentioned.

Trump’s look led to some backlash on social media. Google searches for “boycott McDonald’s” briefly surged Monday morning, and a few Twitter customers vowed to not return to the chain after Trump’s occasion.

However Lori Rosen, president of the general public relations agency Rosen Group, mentioned McDonald’s received’t probably see long-term injury from the occasion.

“The protection and publicity alone generated from McDonald’s agreeing to have former President Trump work at certainly one of their franchises already surpasses the adverse chatter on social media ,” Rosen mentioned. “I’m not positive if the American folks will profit from this publicity stunt. Nevertheless, McDonald’s comes out forward.”

Bruce Newman, a professor in enterprise ethics and advertising and marketing at DePaul College’s Driehaus Faculty of Enterprise, agrees.

“They appear to be the corporate that’s getting the eye of the presidential candidates, and it heightens the notice of the model,” he mentioned.

Newman added that Trump was probably attempting to place a unique, extra informal face on his marketing campaign, carrying a smile and an apron as a substitute of a go well with jacket.