A recent attempt by a conservative news outlet to stir controversy over Vice President Kamala Harris’ past work experience has been met with widespread mockery and criticism on social media.
The Washington Free Beacon published an article titled “‘I Did Fries’: Kamala Harris Claims She Worked at McDonald’s, but She Never Mentioned It Until She Ran for President. Did She Really Toil Beneath the Golden Arches?” The piece delves into Harris’ brief employment at McDonald’s during the summer of 1983, which she has previously mentioned in interviews.
In the article, the Beacon questions why Harris did not list her fast food job on her October 1987 application for a law clerk position in the Alameda County district attorney’s office. The Beacon highlighted that while Harris listed several positions on her job application, she omitted McDonald’s, raising suspicions about the validity of her claims.
Critics quickly took to social media to ridicule the Beacon’s focus on what many viewed as a trivial detail. “She worked at McDonald’s and didn’t put it on her resume,” one user commented. “Ya’ll really got nothing, huh?”
The article notes that Harris’ McDonald’s job was not mentioned in her memoirs, but she discussed it in a recent interview with Drew Barrymore, saying, “I did fries, and then I did the [cash register].” Former President Bill Clinton also referenced her fast food job humorously at the Democratic National Convention.
Despite the Beacon’s attempts to cast doubt, many argued that listing a high school or summer job is unnecessary on a professional resume or application, particularly when applying for advanced positions.
Social media users pointed out the absurdity of the controversy. “I wouldn’t expect you to know this, but people with higher education and graduate degrees don’t have a ‘resume’ we have a CV,” tweeted Lana M Wiggins. Another user, Rick G. Rosner, shared, “In my 20s, I had 3 different resumes… None of them mentioned my janitorial jobs.”
The Beacon’s article has been mocked for its perceived triviality and lack of relevance to Harris’ professional qualifications. Critics have questioned whether the article’s authors have ever worked in jobs outside their field, highlighting a disconnect between their critique and the reality of job application practices.
Some even pointed out that Beacon editor Peter J. Hasson’s LinkedIn profile similarly omits early job experiences, including any fast food or retail work.
Despite the scorn, some found humor and solidarity in the situation, appreciating how it brought people together in the face of what was seen as a needless distraction. “It’s nice to see Twitter united in the idea it’s idiotic to slam Kamala Harris for not including McDonald’s on her resume when applying for a job as an Attorney,” tweeted Kristin Raworth.
In summary, the Free Beacon’s scrutiny of Kamala Harris’ past employment has sparked a wave of social media mockery, revealing a broader frustration with what many consider to be an inconsequential attack on her professional history.
