OPINION:
Vice President Kamala Harris says she worked at McDonald’s in college in the 1980s. The issue is back in the news after former President Donald Trump questioned her story and suggested he might work the french-fry job at McDonald’s. While the issue might seem silly, it is connected to the release of a poll this week that shows that younger voters favor the vice president over the former president by margins less than President Biden won them over in 2020.
The fact-check website Snoops looked into Ms. Harris’ story and found that she has made this claim several times over the years. In 2019, she spoke at a Service Employees International Union rally and posted a video on social media with the statement: “I worked at @McDonalds when I was a student, doing french fries and ice cream. There wasn’t a family relying on me to pay the bills — but that’s the reality for too many workers today. Proud to stand with @SEIU today for livable wages and a safe working environment.”
The editors at Snoops note that besides her own comments, “there is no evidence (such as a photo, employment record or confirmation from a friend or family member) to independently verify the claim.”
This is strange. I worked at McDonald’s in Delavan, Wisconsin, in my high school days to save for college, and it was easy to find people who worked with me.
In 2015, I went on a tour of the Golden Arches, where I worked with ABC News anchor David Muir. He even spoke with my former boss, who now manages the entire region.
Some opponents have suggested that McDonald’s corporate offices said there is no record of Kamala Harris working there, but multiple fact-check sites found that was untrue. At the same time, neither they nor anyone else has confirmed that she worked there in the 1980s. As it was for me, you would think it would be easy to find a co-worker from that era.
If it turns out that she made up the story, it would be one more example of her being removed from reality. Even if she did work there, the bigger issue in this race is rising prices.
Remember the value meals at McDonald’s? Restaurant Business magazine looked at the price of a cheeseburger at McDonald’s in all 50 states in 2021 and again this year. The average price in 2021 was $1.55. Among the locations they checked, the price is 55% higher, with the average price for the consumer this year at $2.40.
McDonald’s and other fast-food chains have lost lower-income consumers as those people struggle with high prices. According to Technomic, people making $50,000 or less per year are not dining out as much as before because of the impact of high prices.
Voters who are struggling to make ends meet due to high food, gas and housing costs are more likely to be upset with incumbents. This was a driving factor behind Mr. Biden’s struggle with the youth vote just a few months ago.
A CNN poll released this week shows that Ms. Harris has a 12-point lead over Mr. Trump among voters under 35 — leading 52% to 40%. That is better than Mr. Biden did earlier this year but a long way from the 21-point margin he won with the same age group in the 2020 election.
As with all groups of voters, there is a gender gap among younger people in the CNN poll. Female voters in that age range favor the vice president over the former president by a margin of 53% to 39%. Younger men are more evenly divided between the candidates.
The economy is the overwhelming issue for younger voters who say they are voting for Mr. Trump. This is similar to a poll commissioned by Young America’s Foundation before the first presidential debate. In that nationwide survey, college students by a large margin selected the economy as their top issue.
When it costs 55% more for a McDonald’s cheeseburger than it did a few years ago, voters are looking for someone to blame. Some falsely believe that the problem was Mr. Biden’s age. Those who follow the facts can see that the policies of the Biden-Harris administration are bad and largely contributed to the massive increase in prices over the past few years.
Whether she worked at McDonald’s or not, the price of a cheeseburger may cost her traditionally big margins with younger voters and in turn the election. Beyond November, we need to remind young people that liberal policies will ruin America. We must win the present battle and the long game to preserve our beloved republic.
• Scott Walker is president of Young America’s Foundation and served as the 45th governor of Wisconsin from 2011 to 2019.
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