The Kamala Harris McDonald’s claim, explained

Kamala Harris‘ claims to have worked at McDonald’s as an undergraduate in the 1980s are widely doubted on GOP-leaning social media, leading some to think she has lied about her employment, and said she worked in fast food to relate to working-class Americans.

McDonald’s says 1 in 8 Americans have worked in their restaurants, so it wouldn’t be unusual for Harris to have done so while in college. Harris has mentioned her time in several speeches, interviews, and TV appearances, and the story showed up again in a campaign ad released in Aug. 2024.

In the past, Harris has provided details about her time at McDonald’s with anecdotes about the fast food chain’s “notoriously finicky ice cream machines,” and mentioning her go-to meal at McDonald’s was a Quarter Pounder with cheese and fries, according to The Washinton Post.

In a Facebook video Harris posted, she said, “I was a student when I was working at McDonald’s. There was not a family relying on me to pay the rent, put food on the table and keep the bills paid by the end of the month. But the reality of McDonald’s is that a majority of the folks who are working there today are relying on that income to sustain a household and a family.”

According to Snopes, however, no photos, employment records, or statements from friends and family have been found to verify Harris’ claim. Still, Snopes says there’s no reason to think Harris didn’t work at McDonald’s as she said she did.

The Harris McDonald’s controversy

Because of that lack of evidence, Harris’ critics on social media have sought to verify that Harris worked at McDonald’s in the 1980s. Snopes says McDonald’s doesn’t show up on any of Harris’ tax returns she made public, and as some on X have pointed out citing unnamed sources, McDonald’s corporate office said she didn’t work there.

Harris was an undergraduate nearly 40 years ago, though, and individual McDonalds locations are franchises, possibly explaining the discrepancy. Snopes’ most recent report on the controversy says they contacted McDonald’s and the Harris campaign to verify the story, and would update their post when and if they responded.

“McDonald’s truthers” remain unconvinced

Because of that uncertainty, Harris-McDonald’s truthers have had a field day online claiming they’ve caught the Democratic nominee for president in a lie. One post claimed that Harris never mentioned McDonald’s before she became vice president, but as a comment pointed out, forgoing a college food service job on a resume for a different industry is not that uncommon.

Whether or not Harris worked for the Golden Arches, Harris has supported fast food workers, both in her legal career, and as a politician.

Meanwhile, Snopes has confirmed that Harris was never fired from McDonald’s for stealing, as some online rumors allege. Notably, satirical memes spreading that rumor also state McDonald’s confirmed she worked there.

What has also been confirmed is that Harris is a fan of McDonald’s ketchup, as she once told Drew Barrymore on The Drew Barrymore Show. “That ketchup is especially thick and it’s got a little sweetness in it,” Harris said. Harris can also crack an egg with one hand, so she must have learned that trick somewhere.