Quick Hit:

On Monday, Ohio Senator JD Vance criticized Vice President Kamala Harris during an appearance on Fox News for not facing media scrutiny over her claim of working at McDonald’s during college. Vance called out the media's double standard, noting that while Harris’ claim remains unproven, former President Donald Trump’s visit to a Pennsylvania McDonald’s was dismissed as “stage-managed.”

Key Details:

• Vance questioned why the media hasn’t investigated Harris’s claim of working at McDonald’s, which she first mentioned during her Senate run in 2019, while Trump is constantly scrutinized for his actions.

• He praised Trump’s visit to McDonald’s in Pennsylvania over the weekend, where Trump interacted with workers and served fries. Vance contrasted Trump's authenticity with what he described as Harris’ staged attempts to connect with voters.

• Vance also criticized media outlets like Rolling Stone, The Washington Post and Newsweek for their negative coverage of Trump’s visit, which has since gone viral on social media.

Diving Deeper:

During a Monday appearance on Fox News' America's Newsroom, Ohio Senator JD Vance took aim at Vice President Kamala Harris for not facing any scrutiny over her past claim that she worked at McDonald’s during her college years. Vance noted that Harris has yet to provide any evidence to back up her claim, which she first made during her 2019 Senate run. He contrasted this with the media’s eagerness to dissect every move made by Republican figures like Donald Trump.

Vance’s remarks came after Trump’s highly publicized visit to a Pennsylvania McDonald’s on Sunday, where the former president was seen serving fries and interacting with employees. The visit was widely covered, with some outlets like Rolling Stone and The Washington Post calling it “bizarre” and “stage-managed.” However, Vance defended Trump’s stop, noting that security protocols prevent Trump from simply "signing a W-9" and joining the McDonald’s staff without careful planning. "He was interacting with people, giving them food, and showing genuine interest in their lives," Vance told America’s Newsroom, adding that Trump's connection with working-class voters remains authentic and unforced.

Vance went on to criticize Harris’ attempts to establish a similar rapport with voters, claiming her public appearances often feel staged. He referenced an instance where Harris made several attempts at a Sheetz convenience store, allegedly taking multiple takes of her buying snacks. “Donald Trump just goes to McDonald’s, and he is who he is,” Vance remarked, suggesting that Trump’s authenticity resonates more deeply with voters.

A Harris-Walz 2024 campaign spokesperson, Joseph Costello, responded with a statement criticizing Trump’s McDonald’s appearance, claiming it showed his disconnect from working Americans. “Trump doesn’t understand what it’s like to work for a living, no matter how many staged photo ops he does,” Costello said. However, Vance was not convinced by Harris’s narrative, pointing out the media’s lack of curiosity in verifying Harris’s McDonald’s story. "The media nitpicks everything Trump does, but they’ve taken Harris’s claim at face value without investigation," Vance added. He called on journalists to probe deeper into Harris’s claim to ensure accountability across the board.