In the late 1990s, journalist Thomas Friedman came up with the concept of the “Golden Arches Theory of Conflict Prevention’: The observation that up to that point, no two countries with McDonald’s locations had ever gone to war with each other.
The Strategist described it as follows: “When a country reaches a certain level of economic development—one where the middle class is big enough to support a McDonald’s—its people lose interest in fighting wars. ”
The theory was later disproved when Russia invaded Georgia and Ukraine, as well as the war between Armenia and Azerbaijan; most of the participants in the wars that followed the dissolution of Yugoslavia had McDonald’s, too. But some countries still see the presence of a McDonald’s as a sign of modernity—or possibly as a way to pander to the famously McDonald’ s-loving current president of the United States.
As reported by the New York Post and other outlets, a mobile McDonald’s food truck appeared in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, during Trump’s visit to the country.
Saudi Royal Court now has a mobile McDonald’s serving Trump during his stay pic.twitter.com/Nk5HZitAae
— Olga Nesterova (@onestpress) May 13, 2025
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According to a Fox News report, the truck was “mobile and operational,” although it doesn’t appear that Trump ate at the food truck during his visit to Saudi Arabia. Much like in his first term, Trump has made Saudi Arabia the first foreign visit of his second presidency.
Trump is known for his love of McDonald’s. He has been photographed eating that and other fast food over the years. In 2018, he also served a fast food buffet to national champion Clemson football players at the White House. During last year’s campaign, he even got “Make America Healthy Again” spokesman Robert F. Kennedy, Jr., to eat McDonald’s on a plane.
Late in the 2024 campaign, Trump visited a Philadelphia-area McDonald’s and worked the drive-through while falsely claiming that his opponent Kamala Harris was lying about a youthful stint working at McDonald’s herself.
McDonald’s plans to hire 375,000 workers revealed as massive expansion continues https://t.co/rUaNM3hQKQ pic.twitter.com/96TwzGrPUc
— The Independent (@Independent) May 14, 2025
There are indications that McDonald’s loves Trump back.
Earlier this week, McDonald’s announced that it plans to hire 375,000 workers this summer. U.S. Labor Secretary Lori Chavez-DeRemer was on hand for the announcement. McDonald’s traditionally staffs up during the busier summer season.
Photo courtesy of X screenshot.
