Trump touts ‘golden age of America’ in speech to McDonald’s owners

President Donald Trump hailed a “golden age of America” as he praised the golden arches, telling a gathering of McDonald’s restaurant owners and leaders that his 30 minutes working at a Pennsylvania drive-thru helped secure his election win one year ago. 

“I’m thrilled to be here with the men and the women who are really the heart and soul of one of the greatest, most admired and most successful companies in the history of the world – frankly, the one and only McDonald’s,” said Trump, a well-known fan who added, “I’ve gone there a couple of times.” 

His campaign stop set a record for most hits on Google, Trump told the crowd at the McDonald’s Impact Summit in Washington, D.C. Monday, helping vault him over Democrat Kamala Harris, who claimed – without proof – that she once worked at the fast food chain.

Besides declaring himself one of its “all-time most loyal customers” and claiming that he got Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. to eat a Big Mac, Trump extolled his record of turning around the U.S. economy, which lagged under Democrat President Joe Biden. 

“We took over a mess,” Trump said, nearly 10 months after re-assuming office. “We had the highest inflation in the history of our country in 48 years, and now we have normal inflation. We’re going to get it a little bit lower, frankly, but we have normal. We’ve normalized it.” 

Major retailer Walmart reported a typical Thanksgiving meal will cost 25% less this year, egg prices have stabilized, and gas prices are falling. Yet an October poll conducted for CNN found 72% of Americans think the economy is doing poorly, and 61% say Trump’s policies are making things worse. That number was 51% in March. 

Perhaps the president’s proudest achievement is attracting what he predicts will be $20 trillion or more in tariff income and investments into America in the first year of his second term. 

“That’s more by 10 times the highest amount ever invested in any country ever before, and it’s largely because of tariffs and because of the Nov. 5 election,” he said. “Think of what that is: That’s car factories. That’s AI. It’s everything – they’re all coming back because they don’t want to pay 15, 20, 30, 100% tariff. 

“People are saying, ‘You know, Trump was right.’ It really wasn’t that complicated, but it’s been amazing,” he said, contrasting his amounts with the $1 trillion of total investment brought in during Biden’s four years in office. 

On Tuesday, Toyota announced $912 million to boost hybrid production at its U.S. plants, including in Kentucky and Missouri, and Saudi Crown Prince and Prime Minister Mohammed bin Salman said the $600 billion of investment he pledged could soon rise to $1 trillion. 

America is “the hottest country on the planet,” the prince said, while Toyota Chaiman Akio Toyoda was spotted in a Trump/Vance shirt and a Make America Great Again hat at a NASCAR race in Japan on Sunday. 

According to Trump, “1.9 million more American-born workers are employed today than when I took office,” attributing it in part to having secured the southern border, and “hourly wages are rising at the fastest pace in 60 years.” 

He also said his administration has “lifted over 600,000 Americans off of food stamps,” and that “thousands and thousands of factories” are being built “all over this country,” which will further boost employment. 

He highlighted recent trade deals, including with the European Union and China, with China agreeing to buy U.S. soybeans. 

“The world was laughing at us like we were stupid people,” he said of the Biden administration. “They’re not laughing anymore. They don’t laugh at us anymore. They respect us now again, and that’s what we want.” 

Trump also used the 45-minute speech to praise the U.S. military’s successful bombing of Iran’s nuclear facilities and heralding the new Middle East Peace Board, which is being formed. 

He also talked about small-business reforms and his ending of an Obama-era policy of holding large brands potentially liable for their franchisees or contractors during his first term, something known as the joint employer rule. 

“I think it’s the biggest thing that can ever be done for you,” Trump said of the policy change. “We mentioned all these different items, but that’s the biggest by far for you. 

“As long as I’m president, I’ll always defend your right to run your own small business and do it well. And some of your small businesses have become very large businesses.” 

The Republican closed his speech by dancing to “Y.M.C.A.” by the Village People and simulating a golf swing, but not before offering some feedback about the Filet-O-Fish sandwich. 

“I like the fish. I like it,” he said. “You could do a little bit more tartar sauce. So please. Seriously, I hate when I say, ‘Do we have any tartar sauce?’ Do you understand that?”

Photo credit: The White House