McDonald’s said it doesn’t take sides as POTUS candidates make their final voter push

Stay gold, Ronnie boy… McDonald’s sent a letter to employees saying it doesn’t endorse POTUS candidates: “We are not red or blue — we are golden.” Some customers threatened to boycott the nuggie maker after former President Donald Trump on Sunday worked the fry station at a McD’s franchise in the swing state of Pennsylvania. McDonald’s acknowledged that its brand has become “a fixture of conversation this election cycle.” It also said it’s proud of VP Kamala Harris’ “fond memories of working under the arches,” which Harris has mentioned on the campaign trail. (FYI: 1 in 8 Americans has worked at a McD’s.)

• McFranchise: Because the vast majority of McD’s restaurants are owned by franchisees, owners sometimes make decisions that customers pin on corporate.

• Not just the election: McDonald’s said the Israel-Hamas war caused a “meaningful business impact” as franchisees in the Middle East weighed in on opposing sides.

Frying up favor… Both candidates are courting working-class voters, trying to encourage the demo to show up to the polls for them. Data shows lower-wage workers are less likely to vote than higher-income ones. That push shows up in their agendas: Harris has made expanding the child tax credit and cutting middle-class taxes central to her campaign, while Trump’s pushing for income-tax breaks and lower home-energy bills. The day after Trump’s appearance at McDonald’s, Harris said she wanted to raise the federal minimum wage of $7.25/hour. Fast-food workers have staged hundreds of strikes in recent years, and this year won a $20 minimum wage in California.