Sen. Bernie Sanders criticized former President Trump on Sunday, accusing him of avoiding a question about raising the minimum wage to a “living wage” during a recent campaign stop at a McDonald’s in Pennsylvania. Sanders expressed frustration over Trump’s stance, arguing that someone of Trump’s wealth should support a minimum wage increase from the current $7.25 to at least $15 per hour, if not higher.
During an interview on “Meet the Press” Sanders said, “You may recall, just a few weeks ago Donald Trump did his photo opportunity at a McDonald’s. All right, he loves McDonald’s. Great. But he’s asked the question, ‘Do you think we should raise the minimum wage to a living wage so that people at McDonalds and millions of other workers don’t have to live on starvation wages?’ He ducked the question.”
Sanders added that Vice President Kamala Harris has endorsed a $15 minimum wage, claiming that low wages force millions to live in financial hardship.
Sanders’ comments come amid widespread Democratic critique of Trump’s McDonald’s visit, which included a brief stint at the drive-thru.
Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez echoed Sanders’ criticism, calling Trump’s appearance “a joke” and suggesting it mocks the realities of minimum-wage workers.
“You’ve got Donald Trump putting on a little McDonald’s costume because he thinks that’s what people do.” Ocasio-Cortez said. “They’re not trying to empathize with us. They are making fun of us,” she continued. “Donald Trump thinks that people who work at McDonald’s are a joke.”
Despite what democrats try to claim, Trump’s McDonald’s appearance is as an effort to connect with everyday Americans and celebrate work in all forms, reflecting Trump’s strong conservative values around free enterprise. While Democrats may critique his approach, creating jobs, strengthening the economy, and ensuring low taxes is more effective than imposing wage hikes that may strain small businesses. But apparently that concept is too complex for them to comprehend.
