President Donald Trump addressed McDonald’s owners, operators and suppliers at the chain’s 2025 Impact Summit in Washington on Nov. 17, arguing his 2024 victory averted economic catastrophe and praising the company’s value offerings. The bipartisan event also featured Democratic speakers.
President Donald Trump used a speech to McDonald’s franchisees at the company’s Impact Summit in Washington, D.C., on Nov. 17 to claim progress on costs and jobs while leaning into his long-running fast‑food persona. Opening with a callback to his 2024 stop at a Pennsylvania McDonald’s, he joked that he was “the very first former McDonald’s fry cook ever to become president,” a line he has used before. He also reprised his campaign‑trail contrast with Kamala Harris and told attendees, “You’re so damn lucky that I won that election.” (whitehouse.gov)
The summit’s agenda extended beyond the White House. Axios reported that Democratic speakers included New York Gov. Kathy Hochul, Maryland Gov. Wes Moore, Rep. Pete Aguilar of California and former Chicago mayor Rahm Emanuel. (axios.com)
Trump sought to cast the economy as entering a “golden age,” asserting that “prices are coming down” and that his administration “took over a mess.” A White House “Rapid Response 47” post on X amplified his remarks: “There’s still a lot of work to do—and we’re making tremendous progress. 1.9 million more American‑born workers are employed today than when I took office… Wages for hourly workers are rising at the fastest pace in 60 years.” Those claims reflect administration messaging; independent economists note that wage gains vary by measure and have been more modest than the 60‑year superlative suggests. (dailywire.com)
Inflation has eased from earlier peaks: the Consumer Price Index rose 3.0% year over year in September 2025, up from 2.9% in August but below forecasts, with monthly gains moderated by easing shelter costs. Since January 2025—Trump’s second inauguration—headline inflation has generally run in the roughly 2.3%–3.0% range. (wsj.com)
Even so, food costs remain a pressure point. Ground beef prices have climbed sharply this year; one recent analysis put the average price around $6.32 per pound in August, up nearly 14% from a year earlier, reflecting tight cattle supplies. (theguardian.com)
Against that backdrop, Trump highlighted recent tariff changes. On Nov. 14, he signed an executive order rolling back “reciprocal tariffs” on a wide set of agricultural imports—including coffee and tea; tropical fruits and juices; cocoa and spices; bananas, oranges and tomatoes; beef; and certain fertilizers—moves the White House said were enabled by trade‑deal progress. Financial and industry outlets likewise reported that exemptions took effect retroactively to Nov. 13. (whitehouse.gov)
The president simultaneously defended his broader tariff strategy and linked it to a wave of investment, saying at the summit that “over $17 trillion” had been committed in nine months, nearing $18 trillion and potentially $20–$21 trillion by year’s end—“more than 10 times the highest amount ever invested in any country.” Independent reporting has challenged those totals as exaggerated and based on soft “commitments,” with AP finding the actual figure likely far smaller than claimed. (dailywire.com)
Trump also praised McDonald’s for “slashing prices” and “bringing back Extra Value Meals.” The chain has leaned into value deals in 2024–2025, though average prices for marquee items have risen. The Economist’s Big Mac Index put the U.S. Big Mac at about $6.01 in July 2025, up from $5.69 a year earlier. (aol.com)
The president closed by promising to return “next year if you get them down enough,” while reiterating that inflation should go “a little bit lower.” The White House video feed lists the address as delivered in Washington, D.C., on Nov. 17. (dailywire.com)
