Battleground Republican Senate candidate slams incumbent Democrat over McDonald’s ‘vindictive’ attack on Trump

Pennsylvania Senate candidate Dave McCormick criticized his opponent in the highly anticipated race, Senator Bob Casey, for “retaliating against McDonald’s” after former President Donald Trump visited a fast-food company location in the state of Keystone during the campaign.

A trio of Senate Democrats, Casey, Massachusetts Sen. Elizabeth Warren and Oregon Sen. Ron Wyden, issued a letter Monday to the CEO of McDonald’s, criticizing the company for alleged price hikes, just one day after Trump working at the fryer at a franchise of the fast-food chain during a campaign event in Feasterville, Pennsylvania.

The trio’s letter accused the business of inflating prices to consumers to increase profits, prompting McCormick to criticize Casey for using “vindictive pressure tactics simply because he doesn’t like Donald Trump.”

“Following President Trump’s extremely popular visit to the local Feasterville McDonald’s franchise, Bob Casey has reached a new level by retaliating against McDonald’s. This is just the latest in a series of anti-business attacks by Casey on Pennsylvania small businesses and employees . Casey is a liberal, partisan, career politician who knows his family’s dynasty is coming to an end, so he resorts to a vindictive pressure tactic simply because he doesn’t like Donald Trump,” McCormick told Fox News Digital.

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Republican Pennsylvania Senate candidate Dave McCormick, right, and Sen. Bob Casey (D-PA). (Photo by Jeff Swensen/Getty Images | Photo by Mark Makela/Getty Images)

The senators’ letter, which did not name Trump, was sent the day after Trump visited a McDonald’s in Casey’s home state of Pennsylvania on Sunday.

“While McDonald’s is not the only fast food restaurant that has significantly raised prices in recent years, its dominant market position as the largest fast food chain in the United States has an outsized impact on American consumers,” the trio wrote. of senators in your letter. . “While working families try to survive, McDonald’s and its corporate counterparts continue to increase their profits.”

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Former Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump, left, and Dave McCormick, the Republican candidate for U.S. Senate from Pennsylvania, shake hands during a campaign event in Reading, Pennsylvania, on October 9, 2024. (REUTERS/Jeenah Moon)

The letter asked McDonald’s CEO to address issues such as how the company makes pricing decisions on individual menu items, whether McDonald’s provides guidance to franchisees on pricing decisions, and whether McDonald’s executives have received bonuses or other compensation based on incentives between 2020 and 2024.

McDonald’s responded that the letter “demonstrates a lack of understanding of our franchise business model.”

“McDonald’s and our franchisees are committed to keeping prices affordable – from the everyday prices on our menus to our popular $5 Meal Deal and other offers available locally or in-app. This letter demonstrates a lack of understanding of our franchise business and contains distortions of facts and many inaccuracies. Take for example the components of the $5 meal deal with McChicken – which would have cost 15% more in 2020 than they do today and in the meantime, let us continue to show up for our customers. and our communities,” McDonald’s told Fox News Digital in a commentary on Tuesday.

Former President Donald Trump, center, with Rep. Guy Reschenthaler, R-Pa., center left, at a McDonald’s in Pennsylvania. (Brooke Singman)

Casey blaming inflation and economic problems on price gouging has been a common theme of his long-awaited re-election campaign, which shifted from a weak Democratic race to a Cook Political Report contest in a last-minute update this week. Pennsylvania is seen as the key battleground state this election cycle that will likely determine the outcome of the federal election, with political eyes also focused on the Senate race that pits Casey against McCormick.

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“Companies say their prices only went up because their costs went up,” Casey declared at the DNC over the summer. “They’re selling you a lie. It’s in the diaper bag. Prices went up because these companies are planning to raise them.”

McCormick’s campaign responded that the argument is hogwash, saying prices have risen for consumers due to “wasteful” federal government spending that was “rubber stamped” by Democrats like Casey.

Former Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump works the drive-thru line while visiting a McDonald’s restaurant on October 20, 2024 in Feasterville-Trevose, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Win McNamee/Getty Images)

Nearly all McDonald’s stores in the U.S. are individually owned franchises, including the one in Feasterville, Pennsylvania, visited by Trump on Sunday.

“I’ve worked 15 minutes longer than Kamala at McDonald’s,” Trump said through the drive-thru window as he handed out orders.

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“I love McDonald’s, I love jobs, I like to see good jobs. And I think it’s inappropriate when someone criticizes where you work. I think that was a big part of her resume and that you worked at McDonald’s.” he added.

The McDonald’s that Trump visited is owned by Derek Giacomantonio, who told Fox Digital on Sunday that the franchise opens “our doors to everyone who visits the Feasterville community.”

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“As an independent small business owner, it is a core value of my organization that we proudly open our doors to everyone who visits the Feasterville community. That’s why I accepted former President Trump’s request to observe the transformative work experience he 1 in 8 Americans have had: a job at McDonald’s,” Giacomantonio said.

Former President Donald Trump worked as a fryer on Sunday afternoon at a Pennsylvania McDonald’s, claiming he has worked at the fast-food chain longer than Vice President Kamala Harris. (Brooke Singman)

“As a former team member, I can attest that this work is more than burgers and fries, but a meaningful path to opportunity. Local Pennsylvania franchisees like me are proud to offer more than 25,000 jobs across the state and I am honored to showcase my restaurant and the incredible impact of the franchise business model here today,” Giacomantonio continued.

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Trump’s visit to McDonald’s sparked outrage among Democrats, including New York Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, who accused Trump of “laughing” at American workers by visiting McDonald’s.

“You have Donald Trump wearing a McDonald’s costume because he thinks that’s what people do,” Ocasio-Cortez said during a “Get Out the Early Vote” union event in Pennsylvania. “They’re not trying to empathize with us. They’re mocking us.”

Trump supporters defended McDonald’s visit as iconic, posting memes and photos of the former president in support of his re-election.

Fox News Digital reached out to the trio of senators and Casey’s campaign regarding the letter but did not receive a response.

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