General Discussion
Related: Editorials & Other Articles, Issue Forums, Alliance Forums, Region ForumsBoycott McDonalds!
If you aren't already. Seriously fuck that company. This is like the tenth time Trump has used McDonald's as a prop in his bullshit, "Everyman" propaganda. McDonalds food, if you can even call it that, is disgusting and unhealthy. And they continuously show their support of the Shitz in Diaper in Chief, Donald Trump over and over again. Let's see here is when he's pulled this stunt, getting a hefty kickback $$$ from McDonalds CEO I'm sure.
The Act: He swapped his suit jacket for an apron and worked the fry station, then served customers at the drive-thru.
The Purpose: This was a direct "prop" move aimed at challenging Kamala Harriss biography of working at McDonalds in her youth. It provided high-visibility "working man" imagery for his campaign.
2. The White House "Fast Food Banquet" (January 2019) During a government shutdown that saw much of the White House residence staff furloughed, Trump hosted the national champion Clemson Tigers football team.
The Act: He filled the State Dining Room with silver platters piled high with hundreds of Big Macs and Filet-O-Fish sandwiches (alongside Wendys and Burger King).
The Purpose: Trump leaned into the surreal contrast of "low-brow" food in a "high-brow" setting. He marketed it as "Great American Food" and a patriotic choice, using the golden arches to signal his personal tastes as the national standard.
3. The "No Tax on Tips" Promotion (April 2026) In a more recent instance, President Trump utilized McDonald's to highlight his legislative agenda.
The Act: He had a McDonalds order delivered to the White House via DoorDash. He was met by a delivery driver (the "DoorDash Grandma" ) to whom he handed two bags of McDonalds food while discussing his tax policy.
The Purpose: The meal was used as a backdrop to promote his "One Big Beautiful Bill Act," specifically the provision regarding no taxes on tips, using the delivery interaction as a live demonstration of his policys impact on service workers.
4. The Post-Trial "Victory" Meal (May 2024) Throughout his legal proceedings in New York, Trumps team frequently publicized his lunch orders.
The Act: Reporters often noted his "McDonald's hauls" being brought into the courtroom.
The Purpose: By choosing McDonald's over more elite New York catering, he used the brand to signal to his base that he remained unchanged by the "legal establishment" and was sticking to his roots.
5. Private Jet "Grimace" Photos (November 2024) Following his 2024 election victory, a photo went viral showing Trump on his private jet with Elon Musk, RFK Jr., and Donald Trump Jr.
The Act: The group was pictured eating a massive spread of McDonalds.
The Purpose: The photo served as a "victory lap" prop, notably showing RFK Jr. (a health advocate) eating the fast food. It was a visual way to signal the new administration's inner circle and their rejection of traditional "DC elite" norms.
6. The 2002 "Big N' Tasty" Commercial- Long before his presidency, Trump used his own persona to prop up the brand in a television ad.
The Act: He appeared in a commercial for the $1 Big N Tasty burger, appearing alongside the character Grimace.
The Purpose: He played the role of the billionaire mogul who was "amazed" by the value of a one-dollar burger. This early use of the brand helped establish his image as a billionaire who still appreciated "common" things.
Fuck you McDonalds CEO Chris Kempczinski, your "food" is garbage that is killing people.
H to HE
(24 posts)Good riddance to McDonald's
beaglelover
(4,477 posts)sheshe2
(97,800 posts)snowybirdie
(6,705 posts)been boycotting for years
Bluestocking
(685 posts)Burger King offers great vegetarian options and their fish sandwich is edible unlike McD. McD puts meat in everything even their French fries. They dont offer any vegetarian options. Their food is also really gross.
Burger King burgers are far superior to McD.
kimbutgar
(27,327 posts)magicarpet
(18,741 posts)Highly prossessed mush fast food is not healthy for ya.
Coventina
(29,784 posts)I'm certainly not going back now!!!
Ritabert
(2,483 posts)moonscape
(5,772 posts)is In-N-Out Burger, protein style. It got a rep for Repub donations but when I looked into it was relieved it wasnt clear-cut or over the top. Leans Repub but I still get my single (I mean double double with cheese grilled onions lettuce wrap) maybe once every few months. And thoroughly enjoy it!
betsuni
(29,121 posts)as he wants the American people to see him."
http://www.egoscriptor.space/home/2017/1/22/donald-trump-and-food
Fiendish Thingy
(23,411 posts)I disagree.
Other than the 2024 stunt, which was arranged specifically with the pro-Trump franchise owner of that particular restaurant (which suffered its own local backlash, and IIRC, the corporate HQ distanced themselves from), the MCDonalds company has not been overtly pro-Trump.
Other than example #1, which I discussed above, the examples you listed are extremely flimsy, and do not make a strong case for boycotting the fast food chain.
Folks have limited bandwidth and resources for this kind of thing, and Boycotts should be strategic, and justified, and this is neither.
I boycott all Georgia Pacific paper products and other Koch-owned businesses because the Kochs have a well established history of supporting republicans and fascist causes.
For whatever flaws the company has, McDonalds does not come anywhere close to the corporate sins of the Kochs, WalMart, Amazon, Tesla, Home Depot, Chick-Fil-A and others.
I will eat there when I wish (usually when they have coupons) and will not feel a bit of guilt over it.
GJGCA
(298 posts)...and logical now...
Fiendish Thingy
(23,411 posts)Im a lifetime member of the reality-based community.
clevergrrrl
(180 posts)A boycott is an opinion. Trump has used McDonalds to promote his brand and McDonalds has gotten PR from the cross promotions.
MorbidButterflyTat
(4,609 posts)from their food or bag logos being seen with Piggy was negative.
I can't imagine anyone other than MAGAts choosing McDonalds because of cheapskate Piggy.
Fiendish Thingy
(23,411 posts)I dont see the food choices of politicians we dont like as a useful target for boycotts.
Boycotts are effectively used to change practices: bus boycotts, Target boycotts when they remove pride merch, MAGA boycotting Disney because its too woke, had Gay Days, etc.
What do you hope to achieve from boycotting McDonalds (who, IMO, have done nothing to warrant a boycott)?
Do you expect them to refuse to sell food to Trump?
Do you think their stock will drop in value?
If youre drawing a line in the sand and making a moral choice for yourself, for whatever reasons, thats your choice, but dont be shocked when others balk at your call for a boycott.
Like I said, there are plenty of bad corporations who have harmed society, their employees, and supported the Trump administration directly, and who deserve our scorn, and the withholding of our business.
McDonalds isnt one of them.
EX500rider
(12,623 posts)Takket
(23,738 posts)I'm not boycotting a company just because drumpf likes to eat there. If anything I feel like i've been lied to all these years about how unhealthy it is. if it is really that bad, he should be dead by now!!!!!!!!
B.See
(8,580 posts)disavowed the 2024 drive thru window stunt or not, there are TOO many similar instances where Trump has been allowed to co-opt the brand and product as a PROP, just as he's stolen music and/or co-opted the flag, currency, religion, God and Christ Himself - to serve his own evil minded goals, greed and.aspirations.
To the point that everytime I see a McDonald's I see his fa sitting in the window.
And as reported in multiple media outlets in January, the company has reportedly rolled back their DEI efforts (except Forbes who insisted the company had merely 'evolved' them).
So if the company didn't approve of Trump's appropriating their brand and imagery, or of his acts and ideology
then maybe they should have made a helluva lot more noise DISAVOWING him and made a greater effort at sending the opposite MESSAGE.
Fk em.
kimbutgar
(27,327 posts)I would always get heartburn or diarrhea after eating. Chemically overprocessed and lousy beef.
Emile
(42,521 posts)Raine
(31,193 posts)rogue emissary
(3,357 posts)I stop going in Jan 2025.