Boycott McDonald's to stop Donald Trump.

Pseudo-dictator and wanna-be king Donald Trump of the United States promised to end Russia's attack on Ukraine in just one day. Yet, creepy clown Trump totally failed. The war is far from over. Now he goes to war in Iran together with his dictator friend Netanjahu, which will bring the US a shock-and-awe entry into a Middle East conflict with no guaranteed way out. We know that Trump is fond of McDonald's and he literally feeds on burgers. During the electoral campaign, Donald Trump popped into a fast-food restaurant in Feasterville, Pennsylvania, to serve french fries to hungry passers-by. Later he pretended to be the candidate who worked for McDonald's. What really happened: he took photos of himself cosplaying as a minimum wage worker. The head honchos at McDonald's corporation were not quite so amused at having their brand thrust into politics. Notably, they saw a spike in Google searches for "boycott McDonald's" on the day after.

The last thing McDonald's wants is a boycott on its hands. In the second half of 2024, the company's operating income declined by about 6%, compared to the same time period in 2023. Main reason is the weakening foot traffic in its stores. McDonald's is a US-American multinational fast food chain with over 50,000 restaurant locations worldwide, around a quarter located in the US. Until 2024, it was largest fast food chain by number of locations in the world but then the Chinese chain Mixue Ice Cream & Tea took the lead. In 2018, McDonald's was the world's second-largest private employer with 1.7 million employees. The company operates on a franchise model, which means the vast majority of its locations are independently owned and operated. Operators pay a royalty rate to use McDonald's brand and for access to its expertise.

The company has run into trouble with franchises in the past, especially after a McDonald's operator in Israel offered discounts to soldiers after the start of the Gaza war. When news of the promotion was disseminated on social media, many customers began boycotting McDonald's - so much so the company has cited Middle East boycotts on its earnings as a drag on its business over the past several quarters. The Palestinian Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions (BDS) National Committee has endorsed the McDonald's boycott because of their in-kind donations to the Israeli military amid the current genocide in Gaza and because McDonald's in Malaysia has filed a SLAPP lawsuit against BDS activists. McDonald's is the right target of this global boycott because it is a symbol of globalization and the propagation of the American way of life. As we explain shortly, the company is fully engaging in Trump's policies against minorities and driving pauperization of the working class.

About 85% of Amazon deforestation is related to cow farming. An investigation by Mighty Earth revealed that the cows killed for McDonald's meals are fed with soybean cultivated in deforested areas in Bolivia and Brazil. McDonald's continuously promote meat products, encouraging people to eat meat more often, which wastes more and more food resources. Seven million tons of grain fed to livestock produces only one million tons of meat. The company has been losing profits and closed hundreds of stores in the last years. More people are aware that the chain exploits million of animals: nearly 300 million chickens are slaughtered for the chain each year. McDonald's is one of the last large chain fast food restaurants that does not offer vegan or plant-based options in the US, which is surprising considering the growing meat-less trend that is gaining momentum across the country - with one-quarter of Americans saying they are trying to eat more plant-based foods. There was a time during 2022 when you could find a vegan-friendly burger (called McPlant) - but only if you lived near one of the eight test locations sprinkled across Texas, Iowa, Louisiana, and Southern California. In 2021, UK-based animal rights group Animal Rebellion was demanding that McDonald's transitions to a fully plant-based menu by 2025 and commits to being 20% plant-based within a year. The group had shut down four McDonald's UK distribution centres in May 2021 - to call out the meat and dairy industries for their role in the climate and ecological emergency - causing a major economic disruption to the company's supply chain.

McDonald's is at the core of our broken food system. McDonald's has an unparalleled demand for consistent and cheaply produced commodities. It is the largest buyer of beef, pork, apples, and potatoes in the United States. With its vast purchasing power, the company created strong incentives for industry scale agriculture, giving rise to agrochemical monsters like Monsanto, ADM, and Cargill. McDonald's predatory marketing to children has generated an ever increasing demand for its burgers and fries over the last 50 years.The company spends more than one billion US dollars a year on direct media advertising. Children in the US and worldwide are bombarded by junk food marketing in every possible way: online, on TV, and even in schools. And it's taking a devastating toll on their health. Increasingly, children are suffering from Type 2 diabetes and other diet-related diseases. Experts say this generation may be the first to live shorter lives than their parents. Most McDonald's food items are notoriously high in calories: any of their burgers, combined with a side of french fries and a soda, easily put you well over 1,000 calories. You would have to walk for seven hours to burn off these calories. Which is why fast food can quickly lead to weight gain and even obesity. Every month, approximately nine out of 10 American children eat at a McDonald's restaurant. Tragically, one in every three children born this year in the US will develop diabetes in their lifetime.

The National Restaurant Association is a front group used by corporations like McDonald's to influence policy in ways that are devastating for our food system. This strategy is harming public health, and keeps millions of food service workers in poverty, for example, by blocking increases to the minimum wage. Despite its claim of being neither red nor blue, McDonald's donated 1 million USD to Trump's second presidential inauguration. This has been marking its first contribution to an inaugural fund in more than a decade. Interestingly, representatives from McDonald's and other fast-food companies reportedly met with US Labor Secretary Chavez-DeRemer ahead of Trump's enthronement to discuss key industry topics, like pro-union legislation that she sponsored and the joint employer rule, which defines the relationship between franchisor and franchisees. McDonald's has buckled to political pressure and announced changes and cuts to their diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) policies immediately after Trump came into office. McDonald's wants to make America a great fast food nation again. The company is aiming to add 900 new locations in the US by 2027 and announced plans to hire up to 375,000 minimum wage workers this summer. With this move, McDonald's likely hopes to stay in Trump's good graces and avoid obstacles to its business.

Our worldwide boycott of Coca-Cola, McDonald's, Starbucks, and Amazon to stop Donald Trump continues until he leaves the White House. Drop Coca-Cola for healthier drinks, visit McDonald's and Starbucks without ordering something and support your local dealers instead of online shopping at Amazon. Don't forget to ask for a McPlant burger before you leave the McDonald's restaurant. Of course our ultimate boycott of International Food Companies continues. Check the Buycott app and avoid their food products. There are plenty of healthier choices for your meals.