Trump supporters call McDonald’s E. Coli outbreak a ‘ridiculously obvious’ conspiracy: ‘right on cue’
Fans of Donald Trump are suggesting that a reported E Coli outbreak linked to McDonald’s is a conspiracy against the former president.
On Tuesday, it was revealed that one person has died and dozens of others have been sickened in a bacterial outbreak linked to the Quarter Pounder at McDonald’s franchises in multiple states.
Now the MAGA faithful are suggesting the outbreak was a deliberate attempt to sabotage Trump’s campaign appearance on Sunday as he manned the fryer at a Mickey D’s in Pennsylvania.
“Not suspicious at all,” a pro-Trump account on X wrote on Tuesday.
Another exclaimed, “Give me a break! The timing of this is so ridiculously obvious!’
Fans of Donald Trump are suggesting the E Coli outbreak linked to McDonald’s is a conspiracy theory against the former president after he manned the Mickey D’s fryer in Pennsylvania on Sunday.
Another one came up: ‘Ha! Just in time!’
Those on the other side saw the timing as comical, with many quoting the news with photos of Trump holding a bag of fries.
Still others wondered if it was the revenge of McDonald’s character Grimace, who has served as an ersatz mascot for the recently eliminated New York Mets.
Trump stood behind the fryer of a McDonald’s in suburban Philadelphia and manned the drive-thru counter in an attempt to undermine Democratic candidate Kamala Harris.
“I’ve now worked 15 minutes more than Kamala,” Trump said after working at the fast-food restaurant, repeating his claim that his rival did not work as a student at McDonald’s as she says she did.
Harris, 60, has touted her campaign during her campaign at a California branch of the fast-food franchise, though her camp has not provided photos of her youthful job there.
Trump claims Harris is “lying” and never worked at the restaurant, but has provided no evidence of this.
A video taken from the kitchen on Sunday showed the 78-year-old Trump handing out orders to a group of grateful, pre-arranged “customers” – Trump supporters said to have been pre-selected by his camp – who gave the ex-president their would see customers served. food and told him why they will support him in the elections next month.
One man, apparently accompanied by his wife, told Trump, 78, “You’re the type of person we want to be president of,” after thanking him for “everything you do.” His passenger added: “Thank you for taking the bullet for us.”
Trump stood behind the deep fryer of a McDonald’s in suburban Philadelphia and manned the drive-thru counter yesterday in an attempt to undermine Democratic candidate Kamala Harris
The CDC said Tuesday that 49 people in 10 states have been sickened by the same strain of the deadly bacteria that can kill up to one in five patients.
Ten of the patients have been hospitalized, including a child who suffered life-threatening kidney damage from the infection. The only fatality was an elderly man in Colorado.
All of the affected patients had eaten at McDonald’s before becoming ill, and most of them specifically mentioned ordering the chain’s popular Quarter Pounder burger.
Researchers believe the affected ingredient is chopped onions or the beef patty. McDonald’s has removed both items from affected stores while the investigation continues.
The chain said its Quarter Pounders – which are purchased by 110,000 Americans in the US every day – may be temporarily unavailable in some states.
Others wondered if it was the revenge of Grimace, who has served as an ersatz mascot for the recently eliminated New York Mets
Quarter Pounder beef patties are only used in the chain’s Quarter Pounder, while the onions are “primarily used on Quarter Pounder burgers and not on other menu items,” according to the CDC.
No additional details have been released about the Colorado man.
The hospitalized child suffers from hemolytic uremic syndrome (HUS), a complication of E Coli that can occur when small blood vessels become damaged and inflamed.
This damage can cause clots to form in blood vessels throughout the body. The clots can damage the kidneys and other organs. HUS can lead to kidney failure, which can be life-threatening.
According to the CDC, the first reported illness occurred on September 29, and the last reported illness occurred on October 11.
The agency said it usually takes three to four weeks to determine whether a sick person is part of an outbreak.
The CDC reported that most people are Colorado (27) or Nebraska (9).
Additionally, people in Utah, Wyoming, Kansas, Missouri, Iowa, Wisconsin, Montana and Oregon have all reported cases, although it is unclear how many there were in each of those states.
Cesar Piña, chief supply chain officer for McDonald’s North America, said initial findings from the CDC investigation indicate the outbreak may be linked to onions sourced from a single supplier serving three distribution centers.
Symptoms of Shiga toxin-producing E.coli include severe diarrhea and vomiting
He said: ‘As a result, and in line with our safety protocols, all local restaurants have been instructed to withdraw this product from their stock and we have halted the distribution of all chopped onions in the affected area.’
He added that McDonald’s temporarily removed the Quarter Pounder from restaurants in the affected area, including Colorado, Kansas, Utah and Wyoming, as well as parts of Idaho, Iowa, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, Nevada, New Mexico and Oklahoma.
He added: ‘We take food safety very seriously and it is the right thing to do. Affected restaurants will receive a stock recovery notice today and should contact their supply chain manager or distribution center with any questions.”
He assured buyers that all other menu items were unaffected and available.
E. coli are bacteria that are commonly found in the intestines of animals such as cattle, goats, sheep and deer.
While most are harmless, some can cause a variety of gastrointestinal symptoms, including stomach cramps, bloody diarrhea and vomiting.
The bacteria can be found in food and water contaminated with feces from infected animals.
Officials have not yet traced the source of the outbreak of Shiga toxin-producing E.coli (STEC), a rare variant of the diarrhea-causing insect. But they believe it is related to a ‘nationally distributed food product’ or ‘multiple food products’
E coli infection sickens about 95,000 Americans a year and kills about 17 to 20 percent.
Young children and older adults are at the greatest risk of dying from E coli due to a naturally weakened immune system.
Symptoms include diarrhea, fever above 104 degrees Fahrenheit, vomiting and signs of dehydration, such as not urinating or dry mouth, according to the CDC.
The patients in the current outbreak were infected with strain O157:H7, the most common strain in humans that has been shown to cause serious intestinal infections.
The CDC said anyone who has severe E coli symptoms after eating a Quarter Pounder at McDonald’s should seek medical attention and tell the provider what they ate.
HUS, which hospitalized the child, affects about 200 to 300 Americans a year and kills fewer than one in twenty of them.
Symptoms include bloody diarrhea, stomach cramps, fever and vomiting. Symptoms usually begin three to four days after ingesting the bacteria, and most people recover without treatment in five to seven days.