Pennsylvania McDonald’s franchise retains security after Trump’s visit leads to threats

The owner of a Pennsylvania McDonald’s that went made news over the weekend after former President Donald Trump visited and served up fries to customers has retained private security following threats made to the location. Trump’s visit, during which he was seen working the fry station and serving customers at the drive-thru in Bucks County, attracted both attention and threats, prompting the franchise owner, Derek Giacomantonio, to take action.

Jim Worthington, a key organizer of Trump’s visit and leader of Pennsylvania’s delegation at the Republican National Convention, told the Daily Caller that the McDonald’s has received threatening phone calls and social media messages after the former president’s appearance. In response, Giacomantonio, who had already hired private security ahead of the event, retained their services to protect his employees.

Jessica Miho, a Bucks County resident, described the heightened security when she visited the McDonald’s. “We walked in. It seemed fine. We ordered and we sat down, but then we looked to our left, and there were several armed guards just sitting there,” Miho told The Daily Caller.  “One of [the guards] stepped outside, and I saw him walking around our car. I thought he was checking if we have our insurance or something…Then [my husband and I] are like, ‘these guys are security;’ ‘these guys are really watching and seeing what’s going on.’ It was then I made the connection [to Trump].” 

Despite the threats, Worthington emphasized that the community has overwhelmingly supported the restaurant. “The community is really embracing it, and a lot of people have come in here since Sunday just to patronize the restaurant,” he said, adding that, “a lot of people anticipated [a boycott] would happen, because that is typical for some Democratic supporters to do, but [the business] hasn’t been hurt.”

Giacomantonio has reportedly been covering the security costs himself. 

“The guy has maintained the security there at his expense,” Worthington explained, adding that Giacomantonio refused offers to help with the expenses, saying, “This is, sadly, a cost of doing business, but I value my employees and my customers so I’m willing to bear that cost.”

Trump’s visit to the McDonald’s went viral as he mingled with employees and took drive-thru orders, taking a jab at Vice President Kamala Harris in the process. 

"Now I have worked here. I've worked here for 15 minutes more than Kamala. She's never worked here... Why would she lie? She shouldn't lie about it. McDonald's confirmed that she's never worked here. But let's not talk about that. It's an amazing business and an amazing country," Trump said, referencing Harris' past claim of working at McDonald’s, which his campaign disputed and McDonald’s has been unable to verify.

In response to the high-profile visit and some backlash that followed, McDonald’s sent an internal message to employees affirming the company’s political neutrality. Trump has long been a vocal fan of McDonald's.

“As we’ve seen, our brand has been a fixture of conversation in this election cycle. While we’ve not sought this, it’s a testament to how much McDonald’s resonates with so many Americans. McDonald’s does not endorse candidates for elected office and that remains true in this race for the next President. We are not red or blue – we are golden,” the company said, according to the Associated Press.