Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump is set to visit a McDonald’s outlet in Pennsylvania on Sunday, where he plans to work the french fry cooker. This visit comes as part of his ongoing campaign, during which Trump has repeatedly accused Democratic Vice President Kamala Harris of lying about having worked at the fast-food chain during her college years.

Trump, who is scheduled to attend a town hall in Lancaster and a Pittsburgh Steelers game later in the day, has made this claim a focus of his recent rallies.

Claims over Harris’ McDonald's job

For weeks, Trump has fixated on Harris’ claim that she worked at McDonald’s while attending Howard University. Without providing any evidence, Trump has accused Harris of lying about her experience, calling it another example of his long-standing strategy to question the credentials of his political opponents.

During a rally in Detroit, Trump said: “Harris lied about working at McDonald’s. That’s not a big thing, but can I be honest with you, it’s terrible.”

Harris, a former prosecutor and senator, has frequently referred to her McDonald’s job to highlight her understanding of working-class struggles. In a recent MSNBC interview, she responded to Trump’s claims, stating: “I worked there as a student. Part of the reason I even talk about having worked at McDonald’s is because there are people who work at McDonald’s in our country who are trying to raise a family.”

Trump’s McDonald's visit: symbolic or strategic?

Jason Miller, a senior adviser to Trump’s campaign, confirmed that Trump’s visit to McDonald’s is intended to draw attention to the fact that Trump will have “worked at McDonald's” by the end of the day. “Since Kamala Harris has not, President Trump will have done fries more than Kamala Harris ever has,” Miller added.

Harris’ campaign declined to comment on Trump’s plans, while McDonald’s did not provide any details on its employment records from four decades ago.

A history of unsubstantiated claims

This isn’t the first time Trump has promoted baseless claims. He has long engaged in tactics that question the backgrounds of his political rivals, particularly women and minorities. Most notably, Trump continues to falsely claim that he lost the 2020 election due to voter fraud.

Trump also spearheaded the “birther” conspiracy against Barack Obama, falsely asserting that Obama was not born in the US. Similarly, during his 2016 presidential run, Trump promoted rumours linking Ted Cruz’s father to the assassination of John F. Kennedy.

Even earlier this year, Trump shared false claims about the eligibility of Republican contender Nikki Haley, alleging her parents were not citizens when she was born.

Strategists question Trump’s focus

Barrett Marson, a Republican strategist, expressed scepticism over Trump’s decision to focus on Harris' McDonald’s employment. “It’s a puzzling detour,” he said, adding that Trump would be better served by concentrating on issues like the economy and immigration. “I don’t think there’s an undecided voter out there that will make their decision based on whether or not Kamala Harris actually worked at McDonald's in the 1980s.”