Trump shows off his McDonald’s fry cook pin while surveying hurricane-ravaged North Carolina

Former President Donald Trump showed off a McDonald’s fry cook pin given while he surveyed hurricane damage in North Carolina that left dozens dead.

Trump was in Swannanoa, North Carolina, Monday, which was devastated by floods from Hurricane Helene. The former president worked the fry cook at a Pennsylvania McDonald’s over the weekend after questioning Vice President Kamala Harris’s experience at the fast food restaurant. The restaurant in Bucks County was shut down as it hosted the former commander-in-chief.

At least 95 people have died in North Carolina as a result of the storm, according to the state’s Department of Health.

The former president used his visit to survey the damage to once again push baseless notions about the federal government’s work to help communities recover after the storm.

Former  president and Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump holds an official McDonald’s fries cook pin given to him during a tour of Hurricane Helene’s devastation on October 21 (EPA)
Former president and Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump holds an official McDonald’s fries cook pin given to him during a tour of Hurricane Helene’s devastation on October 21 (EPA)

Trump claimed that the Biden White House hasn’t done enough for the Tar Heel state, claiming that the federal government has instead sent aid to “illegal migrants.”

The former president and some of his fellow Republicans have faced criticism for pushing false claims regarding the recovery effort. It has now been three weeks since the state was devastated by the hurricane.

Trump appeared for a press conference in Asheville on Monday, claiming that the Federal Emergency Management Agency had been underfunded by the Biden administration.

“The power of nature, nothing you can do about it. But you got to get a little bit better crew in to do a better job than has been done by the White House because it’s not good, not good,” Trump said.

Trump showed off the fry cook pin while surveying hurricane damage (EPA)
Trump showed off the fry cook pin while surveying hurricane damage (EPA)

Despite the somber nature of Monday’s visit, the former president still showed off his McDonald’s pin to the press.

During the shift at the McDonald’s, Trump wore an apron and received a short demonstration of how to work the fry station. He then stuck his head through the drive-thru and handed out a number of orders, chatting to supporters who were picking up their meals.

Workers for the fast food chain shared their opinions in the Reddit thread r/McDonaldsEmployees, and it was noted that not only did he appear to violate several rules, but the visit was short.

Reddit user Rofflewafflelol wrote: “Great, so he passed out bags of food for 5 minutes for a photo op..... now let’s see him actually take on the responsibility of a full shift every day for a few years.

“This is cosplay and insulting to people who have actually worked any amount of time in their lives.”