Mark your calendar. Donald Trump said he will work at McDonald’s next week.

Trump, a loyal McDonald’s customer, has been talking about the fast-food chain ever since Vice President Kamala Harris talked about her summer job there while she was in college. Harris used her experience to connect with workers trying to survive on minimum wage jobs, providing a contrast to Trump’s pampered upbringing.

Now Trump wants to flip the burgers.

“I think I’m going to go to McDonald’s next week,” Trump said at a rally in western Pennsylvania on Monday. “I’m going to go to McDonald’s and make french fries for about half an hour, I want to see what it’s like.”

Since the minimum wage in Pennsylvania is $7.25 an hour, Trump wouldn’t earn enough from his 30-minute appearance to buy himself a Happy Meal. There, Trump can explain to his colleagues why he spoke out against raising the minimum wage.

Assuming Trump actually shows up. At the age of 78, it could be his first honest day at work. After all, Trump is a Nepo baby whose first job was working for his rich dad. He never left the family business other than dabbling in reality television, which was said to be a mirage of his true business acumen.

Trump’s only other job was as president. Normally this is a serious and stressful undertaking, but Trump has made it an easy task. He arrived at the office at 11 a.m. most days. He spent most of his four years playing golf, tweeting, lying and watching Fox News.

Trump never built the much-hyped wall, couldn’t pull off “Infrastructure Week” and didn’t read the daily intelligence reports. In his free time, he passed classified information to Russia, significantly increased the deficit, attempted to overthrow the president of Ukraine, mismanaged the pandemic, and orchestrated an attempted coup.

When Trump left office, the economy was in shambles, unemployment was soaring, and the country was in lockdown.

So a stop at McDonald’s might be more Trump’s pace.

The argument continues

Trump and his MAGA allies railed against the so-called Biden crime family with much exaggeration. A lot of time and taxpayer money has been poured into the investigation of President Joe Biden and his son Hunter. which led to a conviction for lying about his drug use on a gun purchase application – and nothing else show for it.

Meanwhile, there was no outrage as the Trump family moved on. Trump made millions from his time in the White House. Foreign governments paid him millions, creating a conflict of interest. China alone spent more than $5 million on accommodation at Trump properties.

Trump’s attorney general, Bill Barr, has closed a federal investigation into whether the former president received a $10 million payment from the Egyptian government. Even after leaving office in disgrace, Trump continued to rake in money by selling branded Bibles, sneakers, coins and other knick-knacks.

But perhaps the most egregious abuse was committed by Trump’s son-in-law Jared Kushner, who flitted around the Oval Office meeting with foreign leaders despite being denied a security clearance.

Kushner joined Saudi Arabian ruler Mohammed bin Salman, who approved the killing of dissident Jamal Khashoggi in 2018. Mohammed, in turn, reportedly bragged that Kushner was “in his pocket.”

Instead of avoiding the murderous leader, Kushner ensured that Trump rolled out the red carpet. A huge favor: Trump bypassed Congress and declared a national emergency to push through an $8 billion arms deal with Saudi Arabia.

After leaving the White House, Kushner founded a private equity firm. Although he had never worked in private equity, Saudi Arabia invested $2 billion in Kushner’s young company.

At a House hearing this week, it was revealed that Kushner made no profit in three years but received at least $112 million in fees.

The sleazy dealings serve as a reminder: If Trump is re-elected, he will use the White House not to help average citizens, but to line his pockets.

Trump’s legacy

As president, Trump filled the U.S. Supreme Court with three extreme justices, thanks to the underhanded help of U.S. Senator Mitch McConnell.

Those justices joined the three other conservatives on the court in overturning the landmark Roe v. Wade decision — even though several testified under oath at their confirmation hearings about the importance of precedent and settled law.

The Supreme Court’s consequences are misguided Dobbs vs. Jackson Women’s Health Organization The decision is beginning to gain traction as several states have banned or restricted access to abortions. A Texas woman, Amanda Zurawski, almost died because she couldn’t have an abortion. Other women have shared their horror stories.

At least two women in Georgia have died because abortion bans delayed medical care. ProPublica’s excellent reporting showed that the deaths were preventable without the law change.

It’s just the beginning. Thanks to Trump, who bragged about eliminating a woman’s right to make her own health decisions, there will be more deaths and injuries among women.

This is Trump’s legacy.

But it can be reversed this election if Democrats win control of the White House and Congress. Harris promised to sign a corresponding law roe the law of the land. She went a step further this week and supported eliminating the Senate filibuster when passing abortion legislation.

This puts the fate of women’s health and rights in the hands of voters.

“The Homestretch” is an occasional column by members of the Inquirer editorial board that looks at the stakes of the 2024 presidential campaign.