REP. ISSA HOLDS PUBLICITY APPEARANCE AT MCDONALD’S, AFTER PROTESTERS LEAVE
By Miriam Raftery
April 26, 2025 (San Diego)-- Congressman Darrell Issa announced plans to hand out “Freedom Fries” at a McDonald’s in San Marcos on Thursday, April 24th.
But after word got out that protesters planned to picket the event, 12 noon arrived—and Issa didn’t, until after protesters left.
Issa’s office mailed a photo to media outlets including ECM news partner Times of San Diego showing Issa wearing an apron, posing at the McDonald’s beside a French fry machine and franchise owner Brenda Schmid. Issa staffer Jonathan Wilcox asked in an email, ““When is the media going to stop cheerleading the most partisan Democrats in town as they harass perfect strangers for no reason and try to stop a congressman from visiting district businesses and meeting constituents desiring a real conversation?”
(In fact, this McDonald’s is outside the 48th Congressional District and lies within Rep. Scott Peters’ district.
At least 100 demonstrators organized by Indivisible North County showed up, Times of San Diego reports.
Several wore chicken masks. One held a sign reading ”This McD’s serves chicken nuggets and supports a chicken Congressman,” San Marcos Democrats posted on Facebook.
Indivisible’s North County chapter organized the protest in an effort to urge Issa to hold an in-person town hall.
After previous such requests failed, Indivisible recently held an empty-chair town hall in Escondido to highlight Issa’s refusal to meet with constituents to answer questions, including questions over dismantling of government agencies and services, as well as concerns over democracy under the Trump administration which Issa has ardently supported.
Issa’s political opponent, immigration attorney Curtis Morrison, a Democrat, told ECM via email that unlike Issa, “I worked at McDonald’s in real life in high school and college. I know from real life how hard it is to struggle and survive on low pay. Unlike Issa, who has voted against raising the minimum wage multiple times, I’ve lobbied to raise the minimum wage, and care about improving outcomes for the working class. Unlike Issa, who has nominated Trump for the Nobel Peace Prize, I want to go to Congress to hold Trump accountable both for his corruption and his authoritarian policies. And that doesn’t involve imitating his cosplay stunts.”
Carol Gendel, a protester, said Issa didn’t want to face his own residents in a town hall, adding, ““And he doesn’t want to face a protest either.”
Marsha Bryan cited issues including Social Security, immigration and the economy and said she wants to know where Issa stands.
“It’s more important than French fries, believe me,” Bryan told Times of San Diego.”It’s about our lives. It’s about our continuing as a country, who we are as Americans.”