You probably remember these words from Donald Trump during the debate against Kamala Harris: “[Les immigrés] eat dogs, they eat cats. According to the expert in food studiesFabio Parasecoli, his divisive strategy is paying off, because, for Americans, certain foods have a very strong symbolic meaning that touches on their identity.
Moreover, his speech generated a wave of fear towards the Haitian community in the small Ohio town of Springfield: more than 30 bomb threats were launched in one week following the allegations. lies of the Republican candidate. He thus succeeded in comforting voters who consider immigration as a threat to the country.
Food is used by both candidates. For her part, Kamala Harris presented herself as a “healthy foodie” via her YouTube channel “Cooking with Kamala”, launched in 2020, by addressing the caviar left. With this image of a Californian bobo, she moves away from that of Trump associated with fast food and Big Macs. However, in order to win the hearts of the working class, Kamala recently claimed to have worked in a McDonald’s when she was a student. Although this information may seem anecdotal, McDonald’s is a very serious and political subject in the United States. Yes, politics goes through the stomach, and history has already proven it.
