Trump Tells McDonald’s Executives to “Fight” Minimum Wage Hikes for Working Poor
Written by b87fm on 11/18/2025
President Donald Trump used his appearance at the McDonald’s Impact Summit on Monday night to send a pointed warning to franchise owners and suppliers: push back against rising minimum wage demands.
Positioning his remarks as part of his broader plan to address the affordability crisis, Trump framed wage increases as a direct threat to business stability.
“The minimum wage thing — you’re going to have to fight it,” he told the crowd, criticizing California Gov. Gavin Newsom’s efforts to support low-wage workers. “You people probably know better than anyone the impact, good or bad. Let your local congressmen know about it.”
The comments added new fuel to a long-running national debate as fast-food workers continue to advocate for higher pay.
Trump’s relationship with the McDonald’s brand has long been part of his public image. During the 2024 campaign, he famously worked a shift at a Pennsylvania McDonald’s drive-thru. During his first term, he made headlines by serving fast food — including McDonald’s — to a college football team visiting the White House.
Despite Trump’s repeated claims that prices are falling, consumers continue to feel the squeeze of high costs. McDonald’s executives have acknowledged the pressure, recently reducing the price of eight popular combo meals in an attempt to counter mounting customer frustration.
Democrats, newly energized after this month’s elections, say they plan to center affordability ahead of the 2026 midterms. Trump, meanwhile, has been trying to reclaim the economic narrative by touting efforts to lower prescription drug prices and promising more travel to promote his agenda.
He also accused Democrats and the media of “misleading voters” about the state of the economy — a message Republican strategists say they want candidates to echo as they work to avoid another electoral setback.
While Trump urged McDonald’s leaders to push back, workers and labor advocates say the fight for higher wages is far from over — and tensions between the two sides are clearly escalating.
