McDonalds Freakout Memes; UPDATE: GET THE NEW TRUMP/MICKEY D's SHIRT!

Townhall Media

Yesterday, I wrote about Donald Trump's McMentum, and the evidence for that is irrefutable. Look at the polls or look at the vibes and they say the same thing. 

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No, I am not talking about all the whinging from the Democrats about how "fake" the Trump stunt was: everybody with a brain understands that Donald Trump did not get a job from a McDonalds franchisee, that everybody who met with Trump was pre-screened by the Secret Service (the corporate media doesn't like to cover the fact, but two assassins have tried to kill him and the Iranians have teams of assassins in the country targeting Trump), and that Trump will not be getting a check for his brief stint as a fry cook. 

Yet Democrats swamped their own message of the day--that Donald Trump is senile and incapable of standing upright these days (yes, that is their closing argument!)--because their minds were blown by the love that poured out from ordinary Americans who understand that even Trump's stunts reflect the reality of what is in his heart. 

But the Democrats' freakout is only one bit of the evidence that the even was successful. The more compelling evidence comes from the instant memes that the event generated. Memes, by their nature, summarize what people think in a way that words rarely do. 

And the memes are glorious. They say a picture is worth a thousand words, but for some of these that is an undercount. 

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For all the talk about Kamala's JOY!, her campaign is dour and her message is hatred. Trump is Hitler, Stalin, and Mussolini, and her surrogates are screaming about Seal Team Six. 

Trump is enjoying his fries as they rage. 

Conservatives were laughing at liberals because, well, liberals were ridiculous. David Frum in stentorian tones warned the world that Trump was a phony because the billionaire wasn't really a McDonalds employee. MSNBC called it fake. Tim Walz couldn't help himself and claimed that Trump was insulting workers. 

The rest of us just wanted McDonalds to go back to frying in beef tallow. The fries were better then. 

Conservatives had smiles on our faces because we share Trump's love of America, and nothing is more American than McDonalds. It may not appeal to the French Laundry crowd, but nobody but the vineyard owners and privileged politicians eat there. We pick up a Big Mac out of hunger or nostalgia. 

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Just as nobody thinks that Donald Trump is the avatar of high culture, nobody thinks of McDonalds as gourmet food. But honestly, who doesn't crave a Big Mac sometimes? 

Not many people. Uncounted billions have been sold. I am old enough to remember when they bragged about a hundred million or two. 

There was real joy on the Right side of the aisle, and the "vibes" weren't artificially created by Beyonce or Oprah. Nobody stage manages Donald Trump, to the disgust of the Left and the occasional frustration of the Right. 


It may have been a stunt, but it was also very real. McDonalds caters to the same people that Donald Trump appeals to, and one reason he does is that he shares the sensibilities of the working class. He is a billionaire, but he loves fries, taco bowls, and steaks. He is not just like us, but he gets us. 

Fries keep popping up in the memes because Kamala Harris tried to make herself out to be that Middle-Class kid who worked the fryer. It may be true, although McDonalds dropped the fact that there is no record that she did, and the only evidence she did is her word (and a friend of the family who was out of the country at the time). The company invited her to do her own shift, and so far she has declined. 

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People know Donald Trump in a way they know few other people. He has been a staple of American culture for decades, which is why it is now impossible to drive his negatives down. You either love him, tolerate him, or hate him. Nothing will change your mind at this point. 

The McDonalds stunt is so compelling because it is not at all abstract. Kamala's fake town hall yesterday, which got almost no coverage, was more staged than Trump's visit behind the counter. Maria Shriver, who along with Liz Cheney hosted the event, explained to the audience they couldn't ask questions because they were all vetted. And even with the questions in hand, Kamala sounded vapid. 

Kamala has anti-charisma. The more you see her the more annoying she is. Trump, as much as the left wants him gone, lives rent-free in their heads. He dominates their thoughts and one suspects that their lives will be less meaningful without him to obsess over. What will Morning Joe talk about when Trump inevitably leaves the stage?

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Everything about this campaign season has been weird, as the Harris/Walz team would say. The trials, convictions, the first debate, the assassination attempts, Biden dropping out, the JOY! campaign, Tim Walz, Harris campaigning with Liz Cheney! of all people, and now this. But the story arc is one of Trump standing tall as Democrats get bowled over by his juggernaut. 

Trump may not have sealed the deal, but one suspects he will. Everything rests with a few swing voters, and they are assessing the candidates not based on policies but on evaluating the character of Kamala Harris. And she has been found wanting by many of them. 

Trump's stunt will be remembered for years, which is in itself remarkable. For most candidates, this wouldn't work at all. It would be as relatable as the Harris/Walz stop to buy chips and donuts, which is to say not at all. But this was SO Trump. It was a microcosm of his character and by far the best part of him. 

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UPDATE: Townhall has rushed out a commemorative shirt featuring the iconic Trump photo


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Ed Morrissey 9:10 PM | November 06, 2024
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