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Threads posts

stated on October 21, 2024 in a Threads post:

Donald Trump offered “food for everyone” at his McDonald’s press conference and then left without paying.

Customers react as Republican presidential nominee former President Donald Trump hands them an order at a drive-thru window during a campaign stop at a McDonald's, Oct. 20, 2024, in Feasterville-Trevose, Pa. (AP)

By Sofia Ahmed October 22, 2024

Denied free fries? No, Trump didn’t dupe McDonald’s customers out of a free meal

If Your Time is short

A Guardian headline that says, "Trump offers ‘food for everyone’ at restaurant - then leaves without paying," is unrelated to former President Donald Trump’s McDonald’s campaign stop. It is an old article from June 2023 that says Trump yelled, "Food for everyone!" at the Cuban restaurant Versailles in Miami, and then left without buying anyone food.
Trump made a campaign stop at a McDonald’s in Feasterville, Pennsylvania, on Oct. 20. He gave out paper bags to prescreened people in the drive-through, The Washington Post reported.

See the sources for this fact-check

In an unconventional move, former President Donald Trump held a press conference while working Oct. 20 at a McDonald’s drive-thru. Some social media users have inaccurately claimed Trump promised people at the restaurant a free meal but left them holding the bags, and the tab.

"The MAGA McDonald’s franchisee who let Trump use his restaurant for a publicity stunt, was left paying the bill for meals that Trump said he would pay for," reads a Threads post with a screenshot of a headline from The Guardian that says, "Trump offers ‘food for everyone at restaurant – then leaves without paying."

Screenshot from Threads

Donald Trump

stated on October 29, 2024 in a rally in Allentown, Pa.

In Lancaster, Pa., “We caught them with 2,600 votes. We caught them cold, 2,600 votes. ... And every vote was written by the same person."

This post was flagged as part of Meta’s efforts to combat false news and misinformation on its News Feed. (Read more about our partnership with Meta, which owns Facebook, Instagram and Threads.)

The headline is real, but it’s about an incident last year at another restaurant. The Guardian story from June 2023 describes Trump entering a Cuban restaurant in Miami called Versailles after he pleaded not guilty to mishandling classified documents. The Republican presidential nominee reportedly said, "Food for everyone!" before leaving the restaurant without buying anyone food.

Trump made a campaign stop Oct. 20 at a McDonald’s in Feasterville, Pennsylvania. The restaurant was closed to the public during the event, but Trump staffed the french fry station and gave out paper bags to prescreened people in the drive-thru, The Washington Post reported.

We rate the claim that Trump offered "food for everyone" at his McDonald’s press conference and then left without paying False.