Donald Trump works McDonald’s drive-through shift in salty stunt

Fast-food fan Donald Trump wore a black-and-yellow apron over his white shirt and red tie to serve French fries at a McDonald’s restaurant in Pennsylvania.

The campaign stunt was a subtle shot at opponent Kamala Harris, who has said she worked at the fast food franchise* in her youth.

Mr Trump has repeatedly disputed*, without offering evidence*, that Ms Harris ever worked at a McDonald’s while in college, an experience she has spoken about on the campaign.

On Sunday local time, an employee of the restaurant patiently showed the 78-year-old how to scoop fries into cartons to be distributed at the drive-through window, as media gathered for the photo-op outside.

Famously a germaphobe*, Mr Trump marvelled at the serving tool used to distribute the fried potatoes without handling them.

“It’s clean, it’s really nice, you never touch ‘em,” he said.

As Trump finished the campaign stop, intended to appeal to working-class voters, he said: “I’ll never forget this experience.”

“It requires expertise*. I’m going through the French fry stuff.”

“I don’t mind this job,” he continued, at one point asking if customers ever ask for more salt.

“I love salt!” he exclaimed, also throwing some over his shoulder onto the floor, explaining that he is “superstitious*.”

Told by reporters that Sunday was also his opponent Ms Harris’s 60th birthday, Mr Trump wished her a “happy birthday.”

“I think I’ll get her some flowers,” he joked. “Maybe I’ll get her some fries.”

Ms Harris made campaign stops at churches in Georgia as her opponent served fries.

Music legend Stevie Wonder accompanied Democrat Harris at one of her appearances in a suburb of Atlanta, singing the vice president his rendition of “Happy Birthday” while urging voters to “think about more than yourself when you vote.”

In brief remarks, Ms Harris echoed that sentiment when she said: “Ours is a country that is about doing things that are focused on the best interest of our children, our families, giving people the resources they need around assistance, helping people pull out of poverty.”

Earlier, speaking at a Baptist mega church near Atlanta, she had urged a black congregation* to embrace compassionate* values while others “spread hate, sow fear and cause chaos.”

Ms Harris did not mention Mr Trump by name but the crowd nodded knowingly at her allusions* to her Republican rival.

Georgia is one of the key states that are expected to decide the November 5 US presidential election.

Both candidates also held events later Sunday in Pennsylvania, which both sides see as a must-win.

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POLL

GLOSSARY

• franchise: a type of retail business in which an individual or group can market a company’s goods or services by agreement
• disputed: called into question, disagreed, argued
• evidence: factual information supporting a belief or claim that something is or isn’t true
• germaphobe: someone with a fear of germs and contamination
• expertise: special knowledge, experience or skill gained by training, study or practice
• superstitious: believing in things that aren’t real or possible
• congregation: group of people gathered for worship and prayer
• compassionate: feeling or showing pity, sympathy and understanding for people who are suffering
• allusions: an implied or indirect reference to a person, event or thing

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QUICK QUIZ

1. Where was the McDonald’s
2. What did an employee teach Trump to do?
3. What did Trump throw over his shoulder and what reason did he give?
4. How old did Democratic nominee Kamala Harris turn on Sunday?
5. In which key state did Harris spend her birthday?

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CLASSROOM ACTIVITIES
1. US election
From what you know about the US presidential candidates, Donald Trump and Kamala Harris, who would you vote for and why?

Outline the reasons for your preferred candidate below:

Donald Trump:

Kamala Harris:

Time: allow 10 minutes to complete this activity
Curriculum Links: English, Civics and Citizenship, Personal and Social, Critical and Creative Thinking

2. Extension
Do you know why it is a superstition to throw salt over your shoulder?

List other common superstitions that you know:

–

–

–

Do you have any of your own?

Time: allow 10 minutes to complete this activity
Curriculum Links: English, Personal and Social, Critical and Creative Thinking

VCOP ACTIVITY
Imaginative dialogue
Imagine you were there while Donald Trump was operating the drive-through at McDonald’s.

Create a conversation between two characters – you may need or want to include yourself as one of the characters. Don’t forget to try to use facts and details from the article to help make your dialogue as realistic as possible.

Go through your writing and highlight any punctuation you have used in green. Make sure you carefully check the punctuation used for the dialogue and ensure you have opened and closed the speaking in the correct places.