Trump works drive-thru at Pennsylvania McDonald's before town hall in Lancaster
Former President Trump was back in Pennsylvania on Sunday following a rally in Latrobe on Saturday as both he and Vice President Kamala Harris vie for Pennsylvania's crucial 19 electoral votes. Before meeting supporters at a town hall, Trump took over a McDonald's drive-thru window.
With nearly two weeks until Election Day, the 2024 presidential candidates are looking to secure all the votes they can in battleground states. A CBS News poll conducted in early September had the pair tied in the Keystone State with 50% each.
Trump stopped at the McDonald's in Feasterville, Bucks County, on Sunday, where he donned an apron and worked the drive-thru. The former president handed out food to pre-selected supporters in five cars.
The restaurant was otherwise closed to the public for the morning. Hundreds of people tried to catch a glimpse of Trump from across the street.
A sign on the door from the franchise owner and operator acknowledges they're nonpartisan but says they proudly open their doors to everyone.
"It's a great franchise. It's a great company," Trump said about McDonald's, later adding he loved Pennsylvania and always has.
While McDoanld's Corp. agreed to host the former president's event at a Feasterville restaurant on Sunday, the corporation emphasized this was not a presidential endorsement.
In a message to employees obtained Monday by The Associated Press, McDonald's said the owner-operator of the location, Derek Giacomantonio reached out after he learned of Trump's desire to visit a Pennsylvania restaurant. McDonald's agreed to the event.
"Upon learning of the former president's request, we approached it through the lens of one of our core values: we open our doors to everyone," the company said. "McDonald's does not endorse candidates for elected office and that remains true in this race for the next president. We are not red or blue – we are golden."
The Chicago-based burger giant said franchisees have also invited Vice President Kamala Harris, the Democratic nominee, and her running mate, Gov. Tim Walz, to their restaurants.
McDonald's said it has "been a fixture of conversation this election cycle" even though it hasn't sought that attention.
Harris has previously said she worked at the fast-food chain while in college. Without citing any evidence, Trump, on Sunday, disputed that she ever was a McDonald's employee.
"Now I have worked at McDonald's," he said. "I've now worked for 15 minutes more than Kamala."
While he didn't say whether or not he'd be keeping the uniform, the former president handed out fries to the media and joked with reporters that handing out the food could be perceived as a bribe.
When CBS Philadelphia asked what he thought about people saying Harris might be more unifying, Trump replied, "Unifying? I think she's the most divisive person I've ever seen. And she lies about her job applications and she's told some horrible lies. ... I think I'm the one that brings everyone together."
He then touched on how the economy, job numbers, and the border were doing while he was in office.
When asked if he'll accept the results of the 2024 election, the former president told another reporter through the drive-thru, "Yeah sure, if it's a fair election, always."
Massive crowds gathered outside the McDonald's on 334 E Street Road hours before Trump was scheduled to arrive around 1:30 p.m.
The former president held a town hall in Lancaster Sunday evening, moderated by former ESPN anchor Sage Steele, where he discussed inflation, job growth and fracking. The town hall was at the Lancaster Convention Center. Following this, Trump attended the Pittsburgh Steelers game against the New York Jets Sunday night.
The former president was also in the Keystone State on Oct. 14 for a town hall event in Oaks, about 20 miles outside Philadelphia. The event made headlines after it was abruptly cut short once two attendees needed medical attention and the former president preempted the town hall, opting to play several songs off his playlist for about 40 minutes and sometimes sway along with the music.
In Philadelphia on Sunday, Rep. Byron Donalds of Florida stumped for the Trump-Vance campaign hosting a Black Men's Barbershop Talk Roundtable.
Donalds, a staunch Trump ally, and local community leaders were set to discuss the "economic struggles, community safety, and the negative impact of Kamala Harris' policies on the Black community," a news release from the Trump-Vance campaign wrote in part. According to the campaign, the roundtable aimed to give Black men a platform to voice their stories and engage in discussion with leaders directly.
Kamala Harris back in Pennsylvania on Monday
Philadelphia Mayor Cherelle Parker was also scheduled to hit the campaign trail Sunday afternoon for Vice President Kamala Harris in North Philly. Parker was set to be joined by New York Congresswoman Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez and United Auto Workers President Shawn Fain as they emphasize the significance of voting in a battleground state like Pennsylvania and were expected to criticize Trump's Project 2025 agenda and its impact on labor unions.
On Monday, Harris appeared with former Congresswoman Liz Cheney in Chester County to kick off a series of moderated conversations in a three-battleground-state tour. The Democratic presidential nominee and Cheney first spoke in Pennsylvania, before traveling to Wisconsin and Michigan. According to a news release from the Harris-Walz campaign, the vice president will lay out her future agenda for the country if elected.