Trump to Address McDonald’s Franchisees as Administration Targets Food Prices
President Donald Trump is turning up the heat on food inflation—and he’s bringing the message directly to the front lines of America’s fast-food economy.
On Monday evening, Trump will speak to an audience of McDonald’s franchise owners, operators, and suppliers in Washington, D.C., using the platform to highlight his administration’s push to bring grocery and restaurant prices back down. The address comes as part of the “Impact Summit,” a high-profile gathering that also features Democratic leaders like New York Governor Kathy Hochul and former Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel. But Trump’s team is making it clear: they’re not letting Democrats dominate the conversation on the economy.
“The Biden administration started the affordability crisis, but President Trump will end it so all Americans can achieve economic prosperity,” a White House official said ahead of the speech.
The backdrop of Trump’s address is a fast-food industry under pressure. McDonald’s CEO Chris Kempczinski warned this month that inflation remains “sticky,” especially on beef prices. “We’re seeing very, very high inflation around beef prices versus what we’re used to historically,” he told Fox Business, adding that the company is still bracing for above-average inflation in 2026.
The result? Higher prices at the counter, with the average Big Mac now costing $6.01—up from $5.69 just a year ago. That increase has driven away many of the chain’s low-income customers, and franchisees are feeling the strain.
Ground beef alone has jumped 13.5% over the past year, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. Trump argues that this is a hangover from the Biden years, which saw inflation soar to a 40-year high of 9.1% in June 2022.
While inflation has cooled slightly, hovering around 3% for most of Trump’s second term, the president has made clear that’s not good enough. Last week, he took a bold step: removing tariffs on hundreds of food imports—including items like beef, coffee, bananas, and citrus fruits—in an effort to ease grocery costs. The rollback only applies to items not produced in sufficient quantities in the U.S., signaling a targeted strategy to bring prices down without harming American farmers.
“Since Day One, the Trump Administration has been on a mission to tame Biden’s inflation crisis, stop the sky-high Biden price increases, and lower costs for everyday families,” the White House said in a Friday statement. “And while it can’t happen overnight, evidence shows the trend is in the right direction.”
Trump’s address to McDonald’s operators is also personal. He’s long been a fan of the fast-food giant—famously serving McDonald’s in the White House, and making a campaign stop at a Pennsylvania location in 2024 where he ran the fryer and served food to customers. That connection is likely to add a populist flavor to his speech as he rallies one of America’s most iconic brands in the fight against inflation.
As the administration leans into food prices as a key political battleground, Trump is betting that kitchen-table issues—and even drive-thru prices—could define the next chapter of his economic legacy.