Former Vice President and failed 2024 presidential candidate, Kamala Harris’ claim about a summer job at McDonald’s has ignited fresh scrutiny after a new book revealed her stint under the golden arches lasted only “two or three weeks.” The Washington Free Beacon previously found no records of the job, prompting President Donald Trump to question Harris’ honesty on the campaign trail. “She never worked at McDonald’s but it was a big part of her résumé,” Trump told supporters in September.
According to 2024: How Trump Retook the White House and the Democrats Lost America, Harris aides “debated for weeks whether they should respond to Trump’s attacks about McDonald’s” and “spent weeks agonizing” over the decision. The campaign ultimately decided against doubling down because, as the authors note, “the facts were not especially favorable.”
Harris repeatedly touted the job, even telling The Drew Barrymore Show, “I did the fries. And then I did the cashier.” Yet her own advisers admitted the story was risky, considering deploying her sister for a lifestyle feature but backing off. The campaign even rejected an invitation to an Atlanta McDonald’s for fear of “copycatting” Trump’s viral fry‑cook appearance.
Trump’s lighthearted drive‑thru shift became a cultural flashpoint, and highlighted Harris’ credibility crisis. CNN’s Brian Stelter summarized the controversy: “Harris shared this and then a pro-Trump website started to talk about, ‘Hey, is there evidence, is there proof she worked at McDonald’s, there’s no records, there’s no receipts.’”
