A rumor that fast-food chain McDonald's experienced a surge in stock prices following a campaign visit by former U.S. President Donald Trump circulated online in October 2024.
The SpaceX Fanclub Facebook page posted an image of Trump manning the fry station at a McDonald's restaurant with the caption "McDonald's stocks skyrocket 200%. 'Making McDonald's great again.'"
(SpaceX Fanclub Facebook page)
The post linked to an article on the website Esspots, which elaborated on the claim with an alleged comment from the company.
McDonald's executives, who were still picking their jaws up off the floor after witnessing the company's stock price surge faster than a drive-thru order on a slow Tuesday night, couldn't believe the meteoric rise. "I think we've finally found our new marketing strategy," said a McDonald's spokesperson. "Forget celebrity endorsements or TikTok influencers—we're thinking about giving Trump a permanent fry position. Heck, we'll even rename the Big Mac to the Trump Tower Special if this keeps up."
One user shared the rumor on social media and said, "I TOLD YOU EVERYTHING HE TOUCHES TURNS TO $$." Another left a comment that said, "I'm not a McDonald's fan by any means. But I'm glad he did it cuz the left is all hung up on their BS now."
Though some readers seemed to accept the rumor as fact, there was no evidence that McDonald's stock prices surged after Trump's photo op went viral, nor did any reputable outlets report as much. In fact, the opposite is true.
According to Newsweek, McDonald's stock dropped following Trump's visit, though a cited expert said, "This was an isolated incident at one of the restaurant chain's locations and wasn't a part of a business relationship between the company and Trump … The broader market was down today, as well, meaning McDonald's got dragged down with most of the other consumer stocks."
(Google)
Rather, the claim about McDonald's stock rising originated with the article posted by Esspots — a website that described its output as being humorous or satirical in nature, and part of the same network as the SpaceX Fanclub Facebook page. Esspots' "About Us" page states:
Welcome to the US page of Esspots (A Subsidiary of SpaceXMania.com specializing in Satire and Parody News), your one-stop destination for satirical news and commentary about the United States of America. Our team of writers and editors is dedicated to bringing you the latest and greatest in fake news and absurdity, all with a healthy dose of humor and satire.
The Esspots article was also labeled as satire, as was the image in the SpaceX Fanclub Facebook post. SpaceX Fanclub also described itself as a "Satire/parody" account.
The fictional story spread following a highly publicized Trump campaign stop at a McDonald's restaurant in Pennsylvania, which also allegedly spurred the company to make a statement about its political affiliation. Trump's opponent in the 2024 U.S. election, Vice President Kamala Harris, was also featured in headlines relating to McDonald's after claiming she was employed there in the 1980s.
Snopes has addressed other satirical claims from the SpaceXMania network in the past, including the assertions that Elon Musk pulled a television show from ABC, Taylor Swift was banned from country music for endorsing Kamala Harris, and Musk donated $5 billion to the Trump campaign.
For background, here is why we alert readers to rumors created by sources that call their output humorous or satirical.