Trump McDonald's: GOP candidate given pin for French fry effort

Presidential candidate Donald Trump's visit to Swannanoa on Monday might have been overshadowed not by the wrath of Tropical Storm Helene's floods, but by a moment when he was handed a pin for a recent photo opportunity at a McDonald's.

Standing in dust caused by the debris from the storm, Rep. Chuck Edwards, who represents 16 counties across Western North Carolina, lauded Trump for having "perfected" his skills behind the counter during a photo op Sunday at a McDonald's in Bucks County, Pennsylvania, and noted he had just previously handed Trump the pin.

Trump, as if on cue, whipped out the pin from his coat pocket and showed the crowd of reporters and campaign staff.

The moment reflects what UNC-Asheville political science professor Ashley Moraguez described as the Edwards campaign "trying to thread the needle" of cozying up to the Republican candidate, who on his visit repeated numerous statements about the quality of recovery efforts after Helene — statements serving to undermining recent efforts to battle misinformation about the federal response.

Edwards himself has debunked some of Trump's assertions regarding the Federal Emergency Management Agency this month.

"They are trying to stay on Trump's good side, to not contradict anything Trump said, while still maintaining their stance on some of the issues that are actually happening on the ground here," Moraguez said.

A total of 42 Helene-related deaths have been reported in Buncombe County, according to the North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services, making up a large portion of the total 95 Helene-related deaths in the state.

Area pundits described the French fry pin moment as "a puzzling move at best and an offensive move at worst" and as part of one of the "most unusual closing arguments" of a recent presidential campaign.

Trump's stop in WNC — and bashing of FEMA's response to the emergency — was a "predictable play," said Christopher Cooper, a professor of political science and public affairs at Western Carolina University.

The reason for Trump showing up in WNC is two-fold, Cooper said. Trump needs the 13 most impacted counties in the region to show up and vote, and he also wanted to draw the nation's eyes as more attention has been focused on flood relief in the region.

As for the McDonald's pin, the moment, juxtaposed with destroyed homes in the background, was perceived by Cooper as a bit tasteless.

"There is a time for humor in American politics, and that did not seem like one of them," Cooper said.

The language used during the visit however, specifically about FEMA, was likely a way of connecting to larger narratives of unease — something Trump is well-known for.

"It is a way for him to tap in to this kind of larger national narrative and to larger feelings of resentment — fairly or unfairly — about the federal government," Cooper said.

Despite the cozy gesture, there is a gap in messaging between Edwards and the Trump campaign — notably about falsehoods around FEMA expenditures.

On Oct. 8 , Edwards publicly addressed misinformation claims about FEMA's response to Helene — including the claim that FEMA has diverted disaster response funding to the border.

"FEMA has NOT diverted disaster response funding to the border or foreign aid," Edwards said in a prepared statement at the time.

But during Trump's visit on Monday, the presidential candidate continued to push false claims regarding FEMA's response while Edwards stood right behind him.

Trump has repeatedly suggested that the FEMA funds have been spent on undocumented immigrants rather than to aid survivors. The claim, which has also been spread by Elon Musk and Ohio Rep. Jim Jordan, has been debunked as false by USA TODAY and fact-checking outlets like PolitiFact. The claim conflates the agency's disaster relief fund with a separate program that helps homeless people — FEMA's emergency food and shelter program.

In the last week, FEMA approved $1.2 billion more in federal aid to individuals and communities affected by Helene, according to a Monday update from the agency. In total, $746 million has gone to assist individuals and families affected by Helene on top of over $524 million in debris removal and $130 million for housing and other types of assistance. In total, the agency has provided $4.3 billion toward the recovery effort across southern states impacted by the storm.

The Citizen Times reached out to Edwards office Tuesday about whether or not the congressman stood behind Trump's statements regarding FEMA aid. Instead of answering the question, Edwards office returned the following:

"I was happy to welcome President Trump to our district, and will be happy to welcome anyone else who will help me keep NC-11 from being forgotten until we have rebuilt our homes and businesses. President Trump did not only simply fly over our heads, he took the time to see the devastation and mountain determination by getting his shoes dirty. I appreciated that he recognized our communities have pulled together to watch out for one another way ahead of our federal government," Edwards' statement read.

The statement Edwards office gave is also targeting the fact that President Joe Biden flew over the region on Oct. 2 but did not visit on the ground. His office said it would've disrupted recovery efforts at the time. Vice President Kamala Harris, the Democratic nominee for president, visited Mecklenburg County on Oct. 5, where two have been reported dead from the storm.

As the event was held just two weeks before election day, Michael Bitzer, a professor of politics and history at Catawba College, called the French fry certification pin moment "probably one of the most unusual closing arguments" for what may be the campaign's last stop in WNC. Trump, who did vow to rebuild communities in the region, did not expand on how he would do such, beside expressing that he was in favor of Congress returning in a special session to approve emergency funding.

"It's not what the typical candidates tend to do when it comes to the final two weeks," Bitzer said. "If they're talking about French fry certifications. Not real sure that's a high priority item."

More:As Trump visits Asheville area, NC governor and FEMA describe 'heroic' relief efforts

More:Trump visits Western North Carolina repeating false FEMA claims; favors more Helene aid

Will Hofmann is the Growth and Development Reporter for the Asheville Citizen Times, part of the USA Today Network. Got a tip? Email him at [email protected]. Consider supporting this type of journalism with a subscription to the Citizen Times.