"You Want Lies With That?" News Media Struggle to Cover Trump's Potemkin McDonald's Photo Op
Journalists need to stop reacting to political stunts like babies with keys jingling in front of their faces.
Over the weekend, you may have seen photos of former President Donald Trump “working” at a Pennsylvania McDonald’s location. Clad in an apron, Trump was photographed manning the fry station and handing out bags through the drive-thru window. It was a picture-perfect moment that quickly made the rounds on social media and news outlets alike.
But did you know that this McDonald’s was actually closed to the public during his visit? That the people Trump “served” in the drive-thru were hand-selected supporters? That no one actually placed any orders—they just received whatever Trump handed them in a bag? And that this entire stunt lasted all of 15 minutes?
You’d be forgiven if you didn’t, because that’s certainly not how a large swath of the press covered the event, especially on social media.
USA Today’s social media post read: “Donald Trump showed up for a quick shift at McDonald’s,” giving the impression of a spontaneous drop-in.
The official CSPAN account announced: “Former President Trump Works at McDonald’s in Bucks County, PA.” Their website elaborated slightly but still missed key details:
2024 Republican presidential nominee and former President Donald Trump worked a 30-minute shift at a McDonald’s franchise in Bucks County, Pennsylvania. He first met with the owner and received a uniform and name tag, and then learned how to make and package french fries before serving some drive-thru customers and answering questions from the press.
CBS News wrote, “Former President Donald Trump made a stop at a McDonald’s in Pennsylvania, where he donned an apron and worked the drive-thru.” Again, no context about the event being staged.
CBS News campaign reporter Jake Rosen tweeted: "Donald Trump works the drive-thru and French fry station at a McDonald's. I asked him what his go-to order was, he said 'Anything!'" He locked his replies, perhaps anticipating the criticism for the puffery.
CNN reporter Kate Sullivan shared: "Trump works the French fry station at a McDonald's in Pennsylvania," offering no additional information.
You get the idea.
If you read coverage from outlets like ABC News or Politico, you’d walk away thinking Trump was flipping burgers in a bustling McDonald’s, interacting with everyday customers. Neither mentioned that the location was closed or that the "customers" were part of a pre-arranged setup.
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