A Pennsylvania mother, Nayara Andrejczyk, shared her unexpected encounter with former President Donald Trump at a McDonald’s drive-thru in Feasterville-Trevose, Pennsylvania, on Sunday, October 20, 2024.
Trump, making a surprise stop at the fast-food restaurant, was serving fries and interacting with customers, including Andrejczyk, as part of his 2024 presidential campaign.
Andrejczyk, who moved to the U.S. from Brazil 26 years ago, took the opportunity to make a heartfelt plea to the former president.
“Mr. President, please don’t let the U.S. become Brazil, my native Brazil, please,” Andrejczyk said, referring to the corruption she had witnessed in her home country.
Trump responded with a reassuring smile, saying, “We’re gonna make it better than ever, ok?” as he handed her the fries and shook her hand.
Andrejczyk’s interaction with Trump quickly went viral, with many praising the moment as a relatable, personal connection. In an interview with Fox News, Andrejczyk shared that her family left Brazil nearly 30 years ago due to widespread government corruption, which caused her mother to lose a thriving business. She expressed deep appreciation for the United States, stating that she doesn’t want to see the country fall into the same corruption and lack of accountability that plague Brazil today.
Andrejczyk, a mother of three, said she was invited to attend Trump’s campaign event but didn’t realize she would meet him at the drive-thru window. She described her brief interaction with Trump as warm and genuine, adding that it felt “like meeting a friend.”
In addition to serving fries, Trump continued his public outreach by addressing the crowd and complimenting the McDonald’s staff. He also took the opportunity to criticize Vice President Kamala Harris, accusing her of lying about having once worked at the fast-food chain.
Harris has spoken about her experience at McDonald’s during her time as a college student, which she says gave her insight into the struggles of working-class Americans. Trump, however, questioned the authenticity of her story, claiming, “I’ve now worked here 15 minutes longer than she ever did.”
Andrejczyk’s children were equally thrilled by the encounter. “My kids were [saying] I can’t believe I shook Donald Trump’s hand,” she remarked during her interview.
While the moment has garnered significant attention, some critics have accused the event of being staged for political purposes. Supporters, however, argue that security precautions were necessary, given the threats Trump has faced. Trump’s running mate, Senator JD Vance, defended the event during a Fox News segment. “The fact that these people are accusing him of a ‘stage-managed’ thing… of course, the president has to have security because there have been two attempts on his life in the last eight weeks. He can’t just walk into a McDonald’s.”
Trump’s campaign visit to the McDonald’s in Pennsylvania has sparked backlash from food service workers and health safety advocates who noted he was spotted handling food without proper safety gear.
The McDonald’s location, which had previously been cited for health violations by the Bucks County Department of Health, failed its latest inspection due to issues such as employees not washing their hands correctly and neglecting to wear hair restraints while preparing food.
Several McDonald’s employees were quick to criticize Trump’s brief performance behind the counter, pointing out his disregard for basic health standards, such as not wearing a hairnet, gloves, or the proper uniform and non-slip shoes. These lapses, widely shared on social media, underscored his lack of familiarity with food safety practices. Workers joked that handing out food for a few minutes doesn’t compare to the demanding work of a full shift, repeated day after day. Some also mocked his inability to manage simple tasks, with one employee commenting that Trump even struggled to correctly fill fry boxes, placing them backward as he tried to navigate the process.
McDonald’s corporate office has confirmed that they do not keep employment records from the 1980s, making it impossible to verify Harris’ past employment at the company. Harris, however, has publicly supported McDonald’s workers, having joined their protests in Las Vegas in 2019 to advocate for higher wages and better working conditions.
Despite the ongoing controversy, Trump seemed unfazed by the criticism. During a later campaign stop in North Carolina, he proudly displayed a “French Fries Certification Pin” given to him by Rep. Chuck Edwards (R-NC), who owns several McDonald’s franchises.