If Kamala Harris wins the election this fall, then the VP and her husband, Doug Emhoff will pilot many ‘firsts’ in America’s history, including becoming the first-ever couple in the White House with McDonald’s on their resume. According to McDonald’s, with that job experience in their resumes, Kamala Harris and Doug Emhoff are among one in eight Americans, or about 13% of the entire population, who have a background of job at the fast-food giant.
To reinforce their working-class credentials, this shared link is being employed as a powerful tool by the Democrats, who have emphasised this line during the Democratic National Convention. This common link in history portrays the couple in subtle contrast to the country’s Ex-President Donald Trump and the Republican ticket, who, on this line, is depicted as an elitist and emotionally dispassionate toward everyday Americans.
In the course of numerous speeches and campaign ads, the Democrats have repeatedly put a spotlight on how Harris was raised by a single mother in a middle-class neighbourhood and had to work a summer job at McDonald’s, slinging fries so that she could survive through college. This record accentuates her connection to the everyday, working-class struggle among Americans, helping her fortify the party’s promise towards fair representation of the interests of the working class.
Could you remember to relate former US President Bill Clinton to his famous McDonald’s habit and how it became fodder for ‘Saturday Night Live’ in the 1990s?In his convention speech on Wednesday night, Clinton jokingly expressed that he’d be glad to see Harris elected as the president. He said, “At last, she’ll break my record as the president who has spent the most time at McDonald’s.”
President Bill Clinton Jokes About Harris’ McDonad’s History
At the DNC, on Tuesday, Doug Emhoff, the first gentleman, spoke about his own working-class roots. He recalled, “During high school, “money was tight, so I worked at McDonald’s,” where he even earned the title of employee of the month. “I still have the framed picture,” he added, “complete with a ring and the golden arches.”
Doug Emhoff and Kamala Harris
Further underscoring the mounting pressure on the Republicans, Texas representative Jasmine Crockett decided to zero in on the contrasting working-class background between Doland Trump and Kamala Harris. Trump is known to have launched his real estate business with a “small” help of $1 million from his father. In her convention speech on Tuesday, Crockett said, “One candidate worked at McDonald’s. The other was born with a silver spoon in his mouth and helped his daddy in the family business: housing discrimination.”
Pivoting McDonald’s in this contest proves a great opportunity to Kamala Harris and Doug Emhoff for appearing more relatable to the voters, especially among those who are still getting to know the second couple. The connection of the couple to McDonald’s signals a job experience in the food service- a sector which is often low-waged and physically demanding, yet the people view it with pride.
Democrats aim that millions of voters who have worked or work in the food service would find it indeed difficult to picture Donald Trump- the real estate baron and reality TV personality- as their leader. They can’t visualise Trump dealing with the actualities of the jobs, like plucking sloppy scraps out of a dirty sink or tackling incensed customers who are angry because their orders didn't match.
In his latest campaign speech, Tim Walz, the Democratic Vice-presidential nominee highlighted this sentiment. He said, “Can you imagine Donald Trump working at McDonald’s? … He wouldn’t be able to operate that McFlurry machine if his life depended on it.”
Tim Walz’s Speech at the DNC
Jobs like food service, military service and public school teaching (which Walz himself did), line up with the vast, populist and pro-worker narrative set by the Democrats, specifically under President Joe Biden’s administration. While there was a massive autoworker strike going on last year, Biden had joined a picket line alongside supporting unions. The Democrats are leaning on the soaring leverage of the labour movement in America to uphold their appeal.
The changing demography and progressing global economy have brought about a significant alteration in the country's political landscape. The working-class white voters- who previously were staunch supporters of the Democratic party, now lean towards the Republican party. A few years ago, it would have been surprising to see one of the prominent figures at the 2024 Democratic National Convention being the head of the United Auto Workers union, donning a “Trump is a scab” T-shirt on stage. Yet, this is the reality we face today.
Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez
One of the Democrats who concretize this spirit of populism is New York Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, who served as a waitress in Manhattan just six years ago. On Monday, during her speech at the DNC, Ocasio-Cortez expressed, “Since I was elected, Republicans have mocked me, suggesting I should return to bartending,” she said. “But let me assure you, I would gladly do so any day because there is no shame in working for a living. Imagine having leaders in the White House who truly understand that.”
