• by Barbara Lippert , Columnist, August 21, 2024

In his speech on the second night of the Democratic National Convention, our first-ever second gentleman, Dough Emhoff, mentioned that he had worked at McDonald’s during high school.

He spoke proudly, if with a bit of tongue-in-cheek, about having been honored as an “Employee of the Month” with a black-and-white photo of a smiley, earnest young man to show for it.

The beaming portrait was included in the opening video that preceded his speech that night.

Of course, his wife, presidential candidate Kamala Harris, has also talked about putting in time at the Golden Arches. A recent ad now in heavy rotation opens with this narration: “She grew up in a middle-class home. She was the daughter of a working mom. And she worked at McDonald’s while she got her degree.”

It turns out that this background nugget is a highly relatable touchstone. According to McDonald’s, a staggering one in eight Americans has been employed by the fast-food giant at some point in their lives. 

The American dream version is that some graduated into a series of bigger jobs.

But others are still there, adult career fast-food-workers who need better wages and working conditions.

For better or worse, McDonald’s huge global presence has become a symbol of the U.S. around the world. That’s why a 40-foot inflatable Ronald McDonald holds a place of honor, sitting in the position of a meditating Sufi saint, in downtown Jakarta, Indonesia.

And the linkage to McDonald’s as bedrock Americana, both as a purveyor of cheap food and a vocational ladder for the working and middle classes, is not limited to Democrats.

Donald Trump, who visually has gone for the gold (if not arches) in his buildings, has been known to enjoy a Big Mac or two.

The former president also famously served McDonald’s wrapped burgers at the White House to visiting athletes from Clemson University during  a government shutdown, when the chefs were on furlough.

But back in 2002, while still known as The Donald -- two years before his ascension into American living rooms as “Mr. Trump,” the host of NBC’s “The Apprentice”-- Donald did several McDonald’s commercials. In them, he successfully played off his then-public persona as a real estate magnate.

The three commercials featured Grimace, the poignant purple character who cannot speak, and merely blinks his eyes to communicate.

One spot had a Scrooge Mc Duck edge to it, comically playing off the contrast of his billionaire status to sell McD’s “value menu.”

In an office with views of Central Park, he speaks directly to his purple foil.  “I’ve put together some really impressive deals” he says. “But Big and Tasty for just one dollar?  How do you do it? What’s your secret?”

Trump really sells it.

In response, Grimace blinks, each flick of the lids underscored with a clinking sound effect, which suggests either Morse Code or a hostage tape.

An announcer comes in with “Got a buck? You’re in luck!” and lists a variety of foods on the dollar menu, including the McChicken.

In the final shot, we see the duo from the back, both standing in front of a large office window, high up above the city, as Trump puts his hand around the “shoulder” of the large hairy grape figure, replaying a movie cliché.

“Together, Grimace,” Trump says, “we could own this town.”

Trump played a convincing character, and said at the time, “McDonald’s has had a tremendous response, I’ve heard.”

After it ran, I met with one of the creatives at DDB Chicago who’d been on the set. He launched into this story: They’d sent a wardrobe person over to Bergdorf Goodman Men, just a few blocks away on Fifth Ave from Trump Tower, to borrow their best-looking red ties for the shoot.

The deal was that the wardrobe person would buy the ones Trump wore and return the rest.

She came back with 20 of Bergdorf’s red ties and displayed them artfully across a table in a back room.  Producers took Trump into the room to pick one.

He looked at the table and, surprising everyone, launched into a vicious attack about how bad they were, and how badly he was being treated by getting offered this pathetic selection. He said he’d wear his own, because obviously an inept person had picked them.

Everybody left the room and did the shoot.

They got what they needed.

The crew was happy. The shot at the window had really worked.

As they were wrapping, the wardrobe person went back to collect the ties to return them. But the table was empty. She asked around about it, and was told Mr. Trump had sent one of his assistants to take them back to his residence.

You’ve got to hand it to him:  He’s always been consistent about what he sees as “the Art of the Deal.” 

It’s never enough, nor fair enough, for his side.

For him, the ends justify the means, and he emerges the victor.