McDonald's has become an unexpected issue in the 2024 campaign, as former President Donald Trump brands Vice President Kamala Harris' account of her summer job at the fast-food chain "fake" and prepares to take a fryer shift to highlight that he, too, can put his hands to work. But for Trump, putting the spotlight on McDonald's also risks drawing attention to some more damaging pieces of his record, including a concerted effort by his administration to suppress a push by McDonald's workers to raise their wages while also making it harder for them to seek accountability for legal violations.
While Trump has wrapped all three of his presidential campaigns in populist rhetoric, his administration largely sided with corporate management in its battles against workers and unions over pay, benefits and labor conditions. Much of Trump's policies, and actions to reverse those of previous administrations, went through the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB), which Trump stacked with appointees who had previously served in white-shoe law firms that consistently represented large corporations.
